I don't even want to know what kind of research needed to be done to write this novel. The ending left a pretty big plot berg, but YOU was strangely aI don't even want to know what kind of research needed to be done to write this novel. The ending left a pretty big plot berg, but YOU was strangely addictive. What's even more strange was how Kepnes somehow got me to both root for Joe and be disgusted with him and myself simultaneously. Excuse me, I need to shower. ...more

I think on some level I should probably have disliked this book, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. It's a light read and I sped through pretty fI think on some level I should probably have disliked this book, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. It's a light read and I sped through pretty fast and none of the characters irritated me too much. This might have something to do with the fact that books that explore a Reproductive Dystopian world fasciate me. I didn't really love the romance because it is on the "quick" side of things, but somehow that did not seem to bother me much. The plot seemed to more than make up for that, and The Jewel had good pacing and even better anticipation. One thing you might want to consider is that this book does have a terrible cliffhanger. It's the worst. I know I'll end up reading book two just for that alone. I only hope that book two either expounds on the romance or gets rid of it completely.

I can't compare this to The Selection because I haven't read it, so if you are looking for me to do that, I'm not the best person to ask....more

This 5 star rating might come as a surprised to some of you who know how conflicted Red Rising left me. In fact, it's one of the only books I've read,This 5 star rating might come as a surprised to some of you who know how conflicted Red Rising left me. In fact, it's one of the only books I've read, but NOT rated. How often does that happen? Hmm... never. So how did I go from "unable to rate book one" to "loving book 2 something fierce"? The short and lazy answer is, I don't know. The long and complicated version is this review. Huzzah!

Golden Son is a remarkable improvement over some of the issues I had with Red Rising. The writing and plot are noticeably stronger. The characters are fleshed out more. The action and suspense are cranked up several more notches. Really, I couldn't ask for more in a sequel.

Fixed Issue #1: Super Slow Beginning

First off, unlike Red Rising where I struggled with the first 100 pages, Golden Son starts off strong with plenty of action to keep the reader interested. Since the pesky job of world building has been taken care of long, it gave Brown the opportunity to focus on what really mattered: making heads roll. What surprised me with Golden Son was just how many heads actually did roll, but more on that later.

The majority of this novel focuses on Darrow outside the academy and the war he purposefully started. We find out a lot more about the Sons of Ares and the inner workings of the politics of the Golds. I was a little wary about that because a ton of political intrigue can lead to boredom. But in this case, that was not something that ever happened.

Fixed Issue #2: Treatment of Female Characters

My biggest issue with Red Rising was the treatment of female characters, specifically Mustang. I felt she was put into deliberate situations that forced Darrow to swoop in and save her lest her virtue be ruined. I'm so over that trope in books, so I was disappointed to see it in Red Rising.

The good news is that Brown clearly took more care with showing us Mustang's strength. (slight spoilers, but not really) There's one scene in Golden Son where Darrow finally has a chance to talk to Mustang after certain events have pulled them apart and she ends up close with Cassius. He claims that he understands how she must feel, but she quickly corrects him. This is my favorite scene in the entire book:

"Now, I'm sure you understand that I felt lost. One, because I thought I'd found someone special in you. Two, because I felt you were abandoning the idea that gave us the ability to conquer Olympus. Consider that I was vulnerable. Lonely. And that perhaps I fell into Cassius's bed because I was hurt and needed a salve to my pain. Can you imagine that? You may answer."

I squirm on my cushion. "I suppose."

"Good. Now shove that idea up your ass." Her lips make a hard line. "I am not some frill-wearing tramp. I am a genius. I say this because it is a fact. I am smarter than any person you've met, except perhaps my twin. My heart does not make my brain a fool."

I really love how confident Mustang is in that scene and how unashamed she is about it. In that same scene, she goes on to tell him that he is not as invincible as he thinks and how he needs her if he has any hope of winning the war.

I just really wished Darrow listened more. (view spoiler)[ If there was one thing that I had issue with, it's that if Darrow had repaired his friendship with Roque, none of the events in the ending would have happened. Servo and Mustang kept telling him over and over, "Fix that, Darrow" and he would agree, but never makes strides to actually do it. I just wanted to shake him and say, "You are at war! You need all your allies to be completely on your side!!" My problem was that the foreshadowing for that was too obvious. I knew that eventually it would lead to something devastating. (hide spoiler)]

Fixed Issue #3: Darrow's a Super Gary Stu

This can't be denied. No matter how much I admit to liking Red Rising, there was no doubt about it: Darrow was a Gary Stu in every possible way. He's The One. The Only One who can bring down the Golds and help the Reds rise. He can overcome any situation, no matter how horrible or impossible. I can completely see why this may bother some readers even if the novel contains intense fight scenes and dramatic rescues. It just gets to a point where you start to say, "COME ON ALREADY."

Golden Son completely crushes that. Right from the first scene in the book, we see Darrow failing at something important and non one wants anything to do with him besides Roque. It was a little jarring to see Darrow that low, considering how far he had fallen. But shortly after, Brown played an interesting hand that *somewhat* annoyed me and the Gary Stu-ness returned in Full Gundam Force. However, just like in Red Rising, this didn't bother me much because I was too focused on fact that Darrow was busy giving someone the ass beating of a lifetime. What can I say? Priorities, I've got them.

What's interesting is how the other characters continually call Darrow out on his apparent invincibility several times. My favorite one being this quote:

“You are but a mortal," Roque whispers in my ear, riding his horse alongside the chariot, as per tradition."And a whorefart," Servo calls from the other side."Yes," Roque agrees solemnly. "That too.”

OMG THE ENDING THO.

When the ending finally came, I realized Brown had me right where he wanted me (get your minds out of the gutter). After thinking that Darrow could pull through out of anything that opposed him, I was not prepared for the ending. Truly, the last 25% of this novel is what bumped my rating from 4 starts to 5. There was so much death in that scene that it made Red Rising look like child's play. And that took balls. It made me angry, shocked, confused and immensely distraught. I absolutely have no idea how Darrow is supposed to pull through this mess. It's that bad.

My feelings are so conflicted about the ending, it can only be described by way of Kanye and Jay-Z lyrics.

Ball so hard.Dat shit cray.BITCH BEHAVE.

Then there's my ship. Mustang and The Reaper. I really need this to work out. This is my OTP. My ship that I might just go down with. Unfortunately, Brown hasn't said anything to calm my fears and I'm sitting on the edge of my seat in fear.

Bloodydamn.

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I went into We Were Liars one cocky son of a biscuit eater, feeling above it all right from page one. I'd seen this book talked about so heavily by otI went into We Were Liars one cocky son of a biscuit eater, feeling above it all right from page one. I'd seen this book talked about so heavily by other bloggers and how some never saw the twist coming or how others totally saw that twist coming. All the while, I was sitting on the sidelines with my shades on, posted up with my arms folded, saying, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hot potato." That's not to say I didn't want to read this book, because I did. I even had an ARC sitting on my shelf for the longest time, but due to a lot of the hype, I kept putting it off. Plus, I'm one of those people who usually can easily figure out a plot twist and I didn't want to dive into something where a lot of people already mentioned figuring it out.

But one thing did nag me a little in the back of my mind was that my Bookish Twin, Blythe from Finding Bliss in Books, LOVED it. I highly value her opinion when it comes to books, because we almost always agree. So when I happened to get my hands on the audiobook, I thought, "What the hell? I was supposed to read and review this anyway, right?" Let me tell you... WHOA.

***First off, I just wanna say that I don't know how the print compares to the audio and that it's possible I loved the book more than others because of the excellent job of the narrator. I can see how the fragmented sentences could be a pain to read, but this might be one of those cases where it sounds better out loud. That being said, I if you haven't read this book, possibly check out the audio version first.***

Anyway, I was feeling very blasé about the first half. It felt like a really random story about a rich, white girl and her white girl problems, crying her white girl tears and I felt myself unsure about what the point of it all was.

And maybe that makes me sound extremely heartless, but I couldn't relate to the main character (no, I'm not even going to tell you her name because I want you to go in blind). But somewhere along the lines, I started to become intrigued with the story because it became this strange, wild thing that I couldn't piece together.

Lockhart uses a very odd narration with fragmented sentences and strange descriptions, but I thought it was beautiful and unique. It added a very creepy layer on top the the existing oddness. It makes you question the main character, her account of the incident and the entire book. She's not very reliable and has the habit to cut off mid-sentence. I'm not sure if that was used as a way to distract the reader or if it was to used to make us question her sanity. Maybe a little bit of both. Either way, it worked on me.

As things started to heat up and I reached the cusp of the climax, the narrator's voice increased in intensity. She began talking faster, became very emotional, then suddenly on the verge of tears!

And I started thinking to myself, OH GOD NO. WHAT IS HAPPENING.

And then IT was revealed and I was all, "WHAT IS THIS LIFE? I REJECT EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS ENDING. NOOOOOOO!!!!"

I know this review might not be the most helpful in the world, but it's true what everyone says about We Were Liars. You should absolutely go in blind, with no expectations and let this book take your feels as it sees fit. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers like Stephanie Kuehn's Charm and Strange or Complicit, than this one may be up your alley. I'll be here to hold you when you're finish.

You know what? Julie Kagawa is an evil genius. If that wasn't evident with the ending in The Iron Queen or even with The Immortal Rules, she definitelYou know what? Julie Kagawa is an evil genius. If that wasn't evident with the ending in The Iron Queen or even with The Immortal Rules, she definitely drove the point home with The Iron Traitor's ending. I'm a little stunned this time around because I'm left wondering how she'll manage to end this thing in the next book. You'll have to excuse me if this review seems a little scattered, but the last few pages blew my little socks off into next Tuesday.

It's interesting that I'd have such a strong reaction to this installment because for the majority of the novel, I didn't feel it was as strong as Kagawa's previous works. The tone is more subdued, the witty banter is not as frequent and the overall novel just feels, for a lack of a better word, low. In hindsight, I guess that all makes sense because THAT ENDING. But it's also more than that, I realize. I knew this novel carried heavy implications for the characters. The title itself clearly gave that away as did the foreboding mannerisms of the original trio: Ash, Puck and Meghan. However, even going in knowing this, I'm still impressed that Kagawa went there. Brutally.

I realize that this review is not being very helpful, so allow me to backtrack and give you a little something about the book. But it's probably not a good idea to read the rest of this review if you haven't read The Lost Prince.

What I loved:

As usual, Kagawa writes fun, relatable characters. I always know when I pick up one of her books that I'm going to laugh and fall in love with her cast. It's unavoidable and lovely. Ethan just wants a normal life with his girlfriend, Kenzie, the girl who is dying. He'd like nothing more for the fey to leave him and, more importantly, Kenzie alone. But Kenzie wants to live the rest of her life free from restrictions and craves the adventures the Nevernever provides. After trying his hardest to keep her away from Their world, they set out to look for Keirran, who has not returned to the iron realm after their last adventure. As always, there is a prophecy involved that neither Ethan or Keirran is aware of, one that has the potential to bring an end to everything. Ominously awesome, right?

I loved Keirran especially. He's mysterious, broken, tortured and b-b-bad to the bone. Well, not really that last one, but I just wanted an excuse to say that. That is, unfortunately, the impression that he gives everyone, including Ethan, who internally struggles with his feelings of both resentment and family duty. The dynamic between Keirran and Ethan allowed for two deeper messages in the storyline, more so than I remember in Kagawa's other novels.

1. How far do you go to help out a family member? There's no doubt that Ethan has the most to lose and little to gain from helping Keirran. Ethan blames Keirran's existence for the reason why he lost his sister Meghan to the Nevernever. Interestingly, while he remains deeply bitter about the ordeal, he always comes through for Keirran when he needs the help, even against better judgement.

2. How do you let the one you love go? What I didn't expect to find in this spin-off was the underlying message of letting loved ones go. Ethan and Keirran aren't so different. They are both outsiders and in love with girls who are terminally ill. It's a terrible situation to see one character in, let alone two. (In case you missed it, please refer to my second sentence: Julie Kagawa is an evil genius.) The difference between the two guys is their readiness to let their love interests go. I'm not entirely convinced that Ethan is ready, but there are certain lines he has made clear he won't cross, even if that means prolonging Kenzie's life. The same can't be said for Keirran, who would destroy the world if that meant he could spend just an hour more with Annwyl.

There's no doubt in my mind that the next book will make me cry a river, but I'm left wondering: At whose loss? How can any of this possibly end well? At least with The Iron Fey series, you had an idea of how things could conclude, though, of course, Kagawa didn't go that route. But with The Call of the Forgotten, I'm mystified and worried because THAT ENDING. There's only one thing left I can do: Hold out until the next book and hope my heart can take whatever Kagawa decides to dish.

*ARC was received from YABC and the HarlequinTeen. Thank you! No monies or gifts were exchanged for this review. I am genuinely a Kagawa fangirl!

A year ago when I first heard about The Winner's Curse, it was during the Fierce Reads tour where I had an opportunity to interview a few MacKids authA year ago when I first heard about The Winner's Curse, it was during the Fierce Reads tour where I had an opportunity to interview a few MacKids authors, including Marie Rutkoski. It was a lot of fun and remains one of my favorite interviews I'd ever conducted. I really enjoyed The Shadow Society, Marie's YA debut novel, and loved her writing style, so I knew I'd be more than eager to check out any of her future works. I asked what she and the other authors where working on and she mentioned The Winner's Curse, which I mistakenly called in my mind "The Winter's Curse." When she explained the premise, I was instantly intrigued. Later, when Kat and I were offered the opportunity to be early readers, we were both honored and delighted but, admittedly, hesitant. A novel exploring a relationship between slave and master can only go one of two ways: really awful or amazingly well. And for us, there's always that fear of disliking a book written by an author you like personally.

Our fears were unnecessary.

I remember it being well after midnight when Kat texted me saying she had finished the book. In one sitting. The same day we received it. She immediately demanded that I finish so we could gush. Gush? That was all the incentive I needed to carve out a few hours of the next day for reading. Me, being the slow reader that I am, sat reading all day and into the night. When I finished, it was late, my house was quiet and I was alone on my couch. It was the perfect opportunity to have a good cry. Kat and I FaceTimed and chatted about our favorite parts, swooned over Arin, admired Kestrel's tenacity and wit, discussed the intricately woven theme of Bite and Sting, fangirled over Marie's prose and cried together over the heartbreaking ending because parting from this book and characters was such sweet sorrow.

We knew this book was special so we did what any self-professed book nerd would do when they read an amazing book: We leveled up to Book Pushers and, as Gillian from Writer of Wrongs would say, started flinging this book at any and all of our blogger friends' faces. Many of them have loved it just as much as we did and have reviewed it to the point where I'm not sure what else I could say about it. So here I am, a year later, after reading The Winner's Curse twice and listening to the audiobook. Anyone who's chatted with me over the years would know that I don't re-read books at all. I don't have the time or usually the inclination, but I made time for this one because it really did a number on the feels, yo.

I'm going to give you five reasons why you should read this book and even consider giving the audio a chance.

1. The narrator, Justine Eyre

One word, guys: BOSS. The accent that she did was fantastic. It really put me in the rich setting of the Valorian society. My reality faded away as I listened to her describe the clothing, the buildings and the people. She has this gritty quality to her voice, that perhaps may turn some off, but for me it was perfect. It held so much emotion, especially when she did the dialog for Arin. When he talked to Kestrel, I could feel his heart breaking, his sorrow, his regrets, his resolve wavering. And when she did Kestrel, I could feel her resolve, her uncertainty, her sadness, her wavering loyalty between Arin and her people.

I was really, really surprised with it because I'm picky when it comes to narrators. Everyone knows a narrator can make or break an audiobook, and for me, Justine Eyre enhanced a novel I already loved. In fact, I come out feeling like I loved the audio slightly more than the print.

2. Arin & Kestrel's relationship

This isn't your usual romance. Theirs is a complex love that doesn't blossom overnight -- yay, no instalove! -- but it also sneaks up on you in a way. You get a sense that they have grown fond or used to each other, but you don't know if or when it's ever going to manifest into something else until it does. The problem comes with the issue of slavery. While they have these feelings for each other, the question remains on if it's real if the other doesn't have the true freedom to choose. Can you really love your master? They both know that a relationship between them won't be true unless they are both equal. Unfortunately for them, neither of their societies don't see them as such.

What I really loved about the book was that even though at the heart of the story it's a romance, neither Arin or Kestrel allows their relationship to dominate their common sense. In the midst of their feelings, there's a war and it is a very real threat. Both have high stakes in this game of love and war: family members, friends, loyalty to one's country. It's complicated. It's not so easy for them to run away from their responsibilities to be with each other, and that's what makes their relationship so fascinating and complex. There's no right or wrong answer and, as a reader, it makes it more unpredictable.

3. The Setting

I love how The Winner's Curse feels both Fantasy and Historical at the same time. The women wear gowns equipped with daggers, are allowed to fight in the army and have influence. The society lives for lavish balls, duels, high social gatherings and gossip. They are in no way technologically advanced since they rely on lanterns and horse or boat travel. It's one of those books where I'm not exactly sure what genre it would fall under. Let's shelve it on the Awesome Shelf, shall we? Because that's essentially what it is and that's the only thing that matters to me.

If you've read other reviews that mention the world building a little lacking, it's true. However, this did not bother me and I think it's less apparent with the audio version. I got such a great feel for the culture, that didn't get a sense that I was missing anything. It seems to me, based on how The Winner's Curse ended, that that'll be elaborated more in books 2 and 3. So I'm not too worried in that respect. There's was enough going on without having the geographical locations of all cities thrown into the mix.

4. Kestrel

Kestrel isn't your usual heroine. She's not a Katniss or a Rose or even a Tris because she's not a fighter. That's not to say she is weak by any means, but she's different. She, instead, is one of the smartest heroines I've read about. What she lacks in fighting skills, she more than makes up with her mind. She is sharp and even her father, a high official in the army, notices her tactical mind. He urges her to enlist and use her talents to help her country. However, Kestrel doesn't have any interest in joining the army and is faced with marrying, another choice she dreads making.

One of my favorite scenes with Kestrel involves a duel that she wins not by strength, but with strategy. She's cunning and the type of character you'd want in a game of chess. Or if the zombie apocalypse came, Kestrel would be the one to come up with the plan to get to the safe house. She might not do you any good protection wise, but the plan would be solid.

She's also fiercely determined. Kestrel knew her limitations, but still, she didn't let that stop her from her goal. She would find unique ways around her problems that didn't require brute strength or violence.

5. The Pier Scene

The first half of the novel may read slow to some, but then you hit the climax and everything from then on is pretty fast paced. It's where Arin and Kestrel's feelings for one another truly shine through despite the problems that arise. The tables turn and Kestrel finally understands Arin better, and because of what Arin went through for years, he doesn't want the same for her. And the feels, the feels, the feels!

The Pier Scene, and even the one before when Arin sings to Kestrel, was easily my favorite scene in the book. I don't even think there is much dialogue at that part, but wow. When Arin looks at Kestrel with that longing and she him with want, but resolve. It really emphasized how complex things were for them and it was so hard for me to read. I wanted one thing, but NHFHDJDBJFBFLFKDMGVDJBHJJVH!!!!!

Man, spoilers, I tell ya. I can say no more! But by the end it was like my soul was hurting from the emotional turmoil. Marie, why did you make me feel these things?

It's no secret I loved this book, guys. I'm not sure what else to say but: THIS BOOK, READ IT.

This book had everything I wanted. It's much too early to put a review up, but trust me, YOU WANT THIS.

It had some of this:

With a little of this:

And romance between two of the best characters that made me go:

And then my feels all went and 'sploded all over the place and made me feel something like this:

And with that ending just smothered in perfection, I'm not ashamed to admit some of this happened after I realized I'd have to wait until 2015 for the sequel:

Basically, I'll be re-reading this book soon and that's pretty much the highest praise I can give it.

=============

Disclaimers: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for review. I also received the audiobook for review. However, I ended up purchasing the audiobook with my hard-earned cash money, so there's that. No monies or favors were exchanged for my review and high praise. I loved it all by my lonesome.

Wow. Favorite new Paranormal Romance series, thy name is Lux. I've said before that from the moment I first started seeing the Lux bActual rating: 4.5

Wow. Favorite new Paranormal Romance series, thy name is Lux. I've said before that from the moment I first started seeing the Lux books floating around, I avoided them. But the thing that finally convinced me to check it out was Julie's review over at All Things Urban Fantasy, where she said, "As much as I enjoyed OBSIDIAN, ONYX was even better." Confession time: Sometimes I start a book series just to get to a certain book in that series. The best example would have to be Julie Kagawa's The Iron Queen from The Iron Fey series or even Richelle Mead's Shadow Kiss from Vampire Academy. Even though I do believe that each book in a series should be able to stand on its own merit, I will often tell people to read those series just to get to that special book. And I know that there is more to come from the Lux series, but until then I'll be saying to read this series to read Onyx. Because where Obsidian was fun, addictive and sexy, Onyx does it so much better.

Armentrout wasn't fooling around with Onyx. From the very beginning it seemed she had a plan to really up the ante with book two and I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint. We have a noticeable amount of deeper character growth for both Daemon and Katy, all-around better plot, and of course, more banter & steamy scenes. So obviously that makes this a more difficult review to write without spoilers.

Onyx picks up shortly after Obsidian and we have Katy, still sarcastic as ever, and Daemon, determined to prove to Katy his feelings are true and not just the result of their newfound alien connection. In fact, the biggest change in Onyx is Daemon and his attitude for Katy. Gone is the "douche canoe" from the previous novel and let's just say I can totally see when the dude has a Facebook page called Daemon Invasion. ;) But Katy pushes Daemon away at every chance she gets. And while this did get a bit frustrating as a reader, I can understand her reluctance to him considering his past actions, no matter what his intentions were. Unfortunately, her stubbornness ultimately ends with devastating consequences that I honestly never saw coming. I'm not going to give it away, but I'll say I shed a few tears.

One thing I was sad about was Dee's character being slightly put on the back burner in this novel. I missed the relationship between her and Katy. Instead, Katy's time in Onyx is almost completely monopolized by a new character, Blake, or as Daemon would call him: Bozo, due to his jealously that he manages to marginally hide from Katy. I wish I could tell you more about Blake, but that would give away way too much of the plot. However, I did think there was a love triangle brewing... and I'm happy that I was wrong. But the best part of this new character? Fun, fun, fun banter!

"Jesus." Blake rubbed his throat. "You have anger management problem. It's like a disease.""There's a cure and it's called kicking your ass."

That's all I'm saying about that.

The plot is so much deeper, suspenseful and complex too. I thought I had an idea where things were going at the end of Obsidian, but I was so wrong. There were so many twists in this book and not a shred of a Twilight similarity, I might add. ;) What I once thought was simply black and white (the DOD, Dawson and Bethany's disappearance, Katy and Daemon's connection) was turned upside down. Just... wow.

And the steamy scenes between Katy and Daemon? I knew based on a guest post at Xpresso Reads that Armentrout didn't plan on shying away from sex in a YA novel, because really, it's a part of life and coming of age. But, oh, my damn.

Time stopped for us. The world and everything I'd been part of only existed outside the closed bedroom door, but in here, it was only us. And for the first time, there was nothing between us. We were open, vulnerable to each other. Pieces of our clothing disappeared. His shirt. Mine. A button came undone on his jeans... and on mine, too.

Anyway, I'm not sure what it is about the Lux series or Armentrout's writing that has me begging for more, but I know I am now desperately waiting for Opal. And if the cliffhanger at the end of Onyx is an indication of anything, it's that the Lux series is like a fine bottle of wine, getting better and better with age.

I always go into a second book in a series with fears that it will have the dreaded "Second Book Syndrome". I worry that the characters will regress,I always go into a second book in a series with fears that it will have the dreaded "Second Book Syndrome". I worry that the characters will regress, the plot will stall and surmount to overall ridiculousness, and in the end, become boring and lathered in disappointment. So even though The Grisha series is a new favorite for me, I still had these concerns. You cannot even imagine my glee when I discovered Siege and Storm did NOT suffer from any of these things. On the contrary, it was even better than its predecessor. If you loved Shadow and Bone, be prepared to be blown away!

There are so many things I want mention and squeal about in this review, but OH THE SPOILERS. And anyway, Kat did such a great job with reviewing in code already. So I've decided to just write letters.

Dear Darkling,

You're so evil, but I can't seem to conjure up any feelings of dislike for you. In fact, I missed you in Siege and Storm. For most of the novel, you were gone from me, only appearing in Alina's dreams. How fair is that? Don't you know how much I need your evil goodness to be present at all times? Seeing you torture the poor peasants of the Grisha world, warms my heart.

And, oh, Darkling, what new skills you have. Wait, does that sound dirty? Because it totally isn't. Then again, you did tell us all to, "Make me your villain." It's only fair if I, too, am allowed at least one inappropriate pun. But seriously, you've leveled up faster than a Super Saiyan in Siege and Storm. Kat says you learned to line dance, but I think it's more along the line of baking cookies. You showed those cookies who was boss!

But your ending concerns me. I guess the cookie batter turned out to be much more difficult that you expected. Maybe you should take a page from Paula Deen and add more evil butter. I'm not sure this has anything to do with book 3, Ruin and Rising, but I just like cookies, okay? And you. I like you too. So be sure to be extra evil next time and give those cookies a run for their money.

Love,

Steph

--------------------

Dearest Mal,

Please do us all a favor and stop being so insecure over your relationship with Alina. The girl's got a lot on her plate. She has the responsibility of saving all of Ravka, which is kinda a tad more important than you. I need for you to be more understanding and supportive. I liked you in Shadow and Bone, but I'm starting to think I'm outgrowing my mildly inappropriate swooning of you. Just yesterday, I found myself wondering if Leigh might actually kill you off in Ruin and Rising. If that happens, it's possible I might only mourn you for half a page. No, no, no! I take it back! Don't you dare die on me, Mal-Mal!

True love is tough love,

Steph

P.S. I still love you, Mal. <3

--------------------

Sturmhond,

I think I speak for everyone when I say, please become a real person.

xoxo,

Steph

========

And finally:

Dear Leigh,

Amazing.

You are evil. Evil, evil, evil. So evil, your stories leave me speechless. Your humor sends me into fits of giggles and tickles my tender pieces. Your plots make me wish I can pack my bags and vacate to your mind if only for a day. Please don't ever stop being this awesome evil. And because Troy gifs have become our thing:

Also, that ending is causing me to hit the Kvas pretty hard tonight. Look what you've done to me.

Mal, Darkling, Sturmhond... I must collect them all.

Hiccup,

Steph

An ARC was received for a review from the publisher. No monies or favors were exchanged for a positive review. Thanks, Macmillan!

I have a confession to make. I actually bought this book without reading any reviews. That is highly unusual for me because I rarely buy any books (I'I have a confession to make. I actually bought this book without reading any reviews. That is highly unusual for me because I rarely buy any books (I'm a library girl through and through) and when I do, it's under two circumstances: 1) I've read it before, loved it and would read it again or 2) It comes with the highest recommendations from my most trusted reviewing friends. Chopsticks is a bit of an enigma for me because out of all the books to choose from at Books-A-Million, I chose it simply because of its first impression. I was just about to leave out the door, unable to decide on which book to invest in or which one to waste my money on, when this huge "photo novel" with the weird title caught my eye, sitting on the end of a top shelf. One glance through the book and I knew it was for me: The entire story is told in photos of everyday things. It amazed me in five seconds, so I bought it.

When you first look at the cover, what do you think it's going to be about? Well, for me I thought it was going to be your usual girl meets boy, yada, yada, yada. But Chopsticks is so much more than that. You see, depending on how you interpret the novel, it could actually tell two different stories. It could tell the simple contemporary story of sixteen-year-old Gloria "Glory" Fleming, a piano prodigy, who falls in love with Francisco Mendoza, a boy who becomes her escape from her stressful life. Sounds fluffy, right? Well, it can also tell the deep and dark story of a lonely, broken, child star pushed so hard to perform to perfection that she slowly loses her mind, causing you to question everything you see in the book or thought you saw. Do I have your attention yet?

Chopsticks is simply brilliant. The amount of time and skill it took to arrange the photos to tell this mind-bending story is commendable. The phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" definitely fits the bill here because there are hardly any narrative text in the book, yet I felt a very strong connection to the characters. This book really doesn't need the extra words. Instead, the reader must follow the pictures of Francisco's drawings, Glory's concert programs, family photos, letters and images of household belongings. Chopsticks is very intimate in that way because it feels like you've been peeping into someone else's life for eighteen months in only 272 pages. It's the kind of book that you could zip through in thirty minutes, but by the ending it'll make you go back and re-read it more slowly. It's that easy to miss something.

I went out on a limb and purchased Chopsticks and I'm so happy I did. It took me on what I thought would be a simple fun read to an involved story that I couldn't stop thinking about after I finished. I know I could read again and still have a healthy appreciation for the complexity of the story. So, if you are a visual person like myself and you're looking for something totally different from your usual fair, Chopsticks may be the book you've been looking for....more

I have to give it to Ms. Meyer for one again combining your favorite fairy tales with sic-fi/fantasy. Seriously, well done! The Lunar Chronicles is quI have to give it to Ms. Meyer for one again combining your favorite fairy tales with sic-fi/fantasy. Seriously, well done! The Lunar Chronicles is quickly becoming one of my new favorite series and for good reason. It has kick-ass protagonists like Cinder and now Scarlet. When we first met Cinder in book one, she was shy and timid, eventually coming into her own strength. And when I heard that we would be introduced to a new main character, I was a little nervous. I was worried that I'd end up comparing the two and dislike Scarlet. But let me tell you! When Cinder was unsure of herself in the beginning, Scarlet is fierce. Who's afraid of the Big, BadWolf? Not Scarlet.

I should warn you that this review *will* contain spoilers for Cinder. So, if you haven't read book one...

Scarlet picks up directly after Cinder left off. Cinder's busy breaking out of jail, Kai is trying to placate Levana (the wretch) and we get to meet Scarlet (yay!). And if you can't remember the finer details about what happened previously, there is a nice little recap.

The biggest difference between this installment and Cinder is the point-of-view flipping. And with that, you have two different main characters with two separate goals. Scarlet's is to find her missing grandmother, who was abducted and Cinder's is to escape from the Eastern Commonwealth and... not get caught. Somewhere along the way their paths intertwine and revelations are had. Now, here's the thing: Though, overall, I did enjoy Scarlet, there are still a few things I really disliked about it too. Don't give me that look! There is method to my madness.

Things I liked:

1. The new characters - Along with meeting Scarlet, we also are introduced to two other characters, the wolf, who travels to Paris with Scarlet in search of her grandmother and Carswell Thorne, a womanizer and fugitive that escaped prison with Cinder. I thought they were both great characters, especially Thorne, who I happen to love and hate at the same time. Wolf is a bit more complex because of his past (which I can't talk about due le spoilers), but I like the mystery surrounding his character.

Scarlet is fantastic. I mean, the girl wears a red hoodie and carries a gun in her belt. Sweet and innocent? *pfft* How about sweet and deadly?

She's all about action and doesn't take "no" for an answer. She doesn't sit back and wait for someone else to save her grandmother. And I think the best way to describe her would be to quote Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus: "Take chances, make mistakes and get messy!" So, while she isn't a perfect character, she certainly is determined to do whatever it takes to reach her goal. I loved that about her and I think other readers will too or at least respect her spirit.

2. I also really enjoyed the plot and back story. We get to find out more about Cinder's past and how she ended up ended up on earth and who helped her. I really think Meyer did a good job at telling two different stories and later having them weave together. And I really like seeing Scarlet and Cinder together. I only wish that they had teamed up sooner than the ending.

Things I didn't like:

1. At times it felt like there was too much story to tell. (Maybe this was just me wanting more from Scarlet.) Even though Scarlet is longer than Cinder, I'd even say that I think that there was too much happening in this installment and not enough time spent developing the new characters or the new relationships, which, incidentally, leads to my next con...

2. I'm not sure I liked Scarlet and Wolf's relationship. Since the novel very frequently flips back and forth from Scarlet to Cinder and even Kai, there wasn't much page time the reader is left developing some kind of connection with their relationship. Actually, they themselves didn't even have much time developing anything and by the end, I found it all rather cheesy. And while they do both admit that they've developed feelings for one another (in a matter of days), it never felt real because I was too busy keeping up with all the story arcs.

3. I missed Kai and Cinder being together. Kai is in the book, but I missed the chemistry they had in Cinder. I think Wolf and Scarlet's romance was supposed to fill the void temporarily, but since I didn't really spend much time with them, the sparks never flew for me. Perhaps in book three, Cress, things will be different. But right now, I have my doubts considering it looks like we will be meeting even more characters. I'm starting to wonder if this world is just too big for this series. Ah, well. We'll see.

The Ending:

'Cause, yeah, it needs its own section.

Kai. WHY?! WHY? WHY? WHY?

Okay. I think I need a moment to process that ending. *breathes in and out*

Did that just make you want to read this book even more than you already did? Oops.

So, in conclusion, even though I liked Cinder more, Scarlet was still a fun and exciting read. Meyer has built an interesting world, making "old faces" from fairy tales new again. And I know you're probably giving me dagger eyes for the little bit above, but just think how hard it will be for me to wait for Cress. It's torture, I tell ya.

ARC was provided by Macmillan. Thank you!

More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.----------------GAH!!! LOOK AT THE PRETTY COVER!!!

And I just found out about the new Sailor Moon anime!! Too much awesome for one day. I shall be off in my corner spontaneously combusting. http://t.co/29QLtAD3...more

OMG. THIS BOOK. I held off reviewing Charm & Strange for one reason: I have no idea how to review a book like this. It’s a psychological thrillerOMG. THIS BOOK. I held off reviewing Charm & Strange for one reason: I have no idea how to review a book like this. It’s a psychological thriller that leaves you completely confused until the very last pages. There were literally times where I thought, “Okay, this is dumb” or “WTF am I reading?” But wow. I was left in pieces by the end and I think I might have finished the entire book in one day, which is a feat for me with kids running around all day. I couldn’t tear myself away from it. I’d recommend this one for more mature YA readers, as it does cover a sensitive subject.

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There are so many feelings inside me right now, but I can't quite bring myself to mold them into anything else but giant SOBS....more

The first thing that came to my mind after finishing Stormdancer was the very eloquent: WHOA! The second more composed chain of thought was somethingThe first thing that came to my mind after finishing Stormdancer was the very eloquent: WHOA! The second more composed chain of thought was something along the lines of: Why yes, that *was* just as badass as its cover suggested. Stormdancer had it all for me. Richly crafted world building, carefully placed humor, realistic characters, unpredictable storyline... I mean, I could go on and on here! This book was freakin' awesome! I went into Stormdancer expecting to fall in love with it because it has such an awesome premise. Which is saying something because I'm not a huge fan of Steampunk. *Cue the mock horror and shock* But you know what? I loved this book. Prepare yourselves, friends... for a glowing review.

Right off the bat the reader is immersed into Shima's culture with no hand holding from Kristoff whatsoever. The beginning is intelligently planned and doesn't insult the reader with countless explanations of terms, locations and titles. That's what a glossary is for. Thankfully, Stormdancer has one, which I found myself visiting often at first. However, those visits tapered off as I became more familiar with the story. It's almost like watching your favorite anime with subtitles. In the beginning you're doing a lot of reading, but halfway through you find yourself catching on, getting lost in the story, following along easier without the need of your training wheels. Good stuff, people. Good stuff.

The plot rocked my socks. It all revolves around a flower called "blood lotus" that fuels their machinery and the population's drug addiction to it. The Shogun believes he is destined to be a legendary Stormdancer, riding the back of a Thunder Tiger, leading his army to victory against an enemy he plans to enslave for further production of the plant that's choking the life from his country. Throw in Samurai with clockwork armory, a telepathic griffin and chainsaw katanas and you, my friend, have got yourself a damn good time.

The characterizations are phenomenal. I absolutely loved Yukiko. She's incredibly smart, fierce and independent. And her voice felt very real to me as a female. The best part of Stormdancer hands down was Buruu the griffin. HILARIOUS! When he and Yukiko first meet up he affectionately refers to her as "insect" and "monkey." Did I mention this dude speaks in ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME? (He sounds like Zordon from the Power Rangers in my head. But with attitude.) I found myself laughing every time they interacted. His development was also an interesting one because he starts off with a simpler mind, thinking short choppy violent thoughts, with no understanding of sarcasm, only blood. But as the novel progresses you can see his sentence structure improving and his thoughts becoming more humane (darn!). It was all a very smooth transition until I couldn't see the final Buruu any other way.

What's that you say? You find it impossible that I can find no fault with Stormdancer? Well, that's not entirely true. But keep in mind this is coming from someone who doesn't read a lot of High Fantasy or Steampunk. Basically, ignore me. Lol. If there was one thing that bothered me, it was the beginning. It felt a little slow for me with the myriads of description after description. When my best friend asked me in the beginning what I thought of Stormdancer I told her it was kinda like when Rowling went nuts on describing the Weasley house. And her reply was, "Yes! I love tons of descriptions." And that's when I realized I was obviously the weirdo in this case. For once. Don't worry, I'll be back to being the "kool" one soon enough.

So why did I give it 5 stars? Why not 4? Truthfully, for about half the book I thought, "Okay, 4 stars for sure." But then Buruu and Yukiko brought the THUNDA with that fight screen against the Oni... and I was like whoa, dude! Oh, and when the minor character, Michi, started going into splits, cutting dudes to shreds!! OMG, it was like a serious Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon badass scene on steroids. And then with the plot twists! *takes deep breath* Sorry, I-I-I couldn't contain the fangirling. But it was awesome!

And that ending?! Wow. So much win and I never saw it coming! And damn you Kristoff for making me shed a tear! Who knew my cold, dead heart was capable of such emotions? But you know what they say, "The lotus must bloom." Heh. I am very thankful that salt wasn't poured into the wound with a cliffhanger, but I feel like a desperate lotus addict looking for book two to magically appear on my bookshelf. *weeps* It's not there! So I'll just be over here rocking back and forth waiting for my bookish fix.

ARC was provided by the publisher. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. Doubt me not, friends. These are my honest thoughts. Kristoff happened to write a book and I happened to love it.

Check out the interview with Leigh Bardugo where she saves Kat Kennedy and I from Ninjas. True story. Also, there's a giveaway of a finished copy of SCheck out the interview with Leigh Bardugo where she saves Kat Kennedy and I from Ninjas. True story. Also, there's a giveaway of a finished copy of Shadow and Bone!

If I could wrap up my emotions about how I felt after reading Shadow and Bone and send them to you through my computer screen, I totally would. Instead, I'm afraid you'll have to settle for my words: THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! I wish I could unread it just so I can go back and re-read it again for the first time.

Yes, I loved it that much.

Now I've come to the part where I am supposed to describe to you the awesomeness that is Shadow and Bone and I'm finding that rather difficult to do. Why is that? Is it because while reading a book you love your get so swept away with the story that you can't be bothered to take notes? Or perhaps it's the fact that you don't want to give away too much of the story? You want other potential readers to go into the book blind, expecting little and gaining everything the story has to offer? I suspect it is a little of both for me and with that, I offer my sincerest apologies if you do not find this review helpful. It is my hope, however, that my inability to do this book justice in my review speaks volumes in and of itself.

Shadow and Bone follows the story of Alina Starkov, a remarkable young girl, who holds a power not even she realizes she has. All her life she's never fit in. Not in the orphanage where she grew up alongside her best friend, Mal, nor in the First Army where she serves as a mapmaker. In her world people of elite status with unique abilities, called Grisha, serve as nothing more than fanciful servants to the kingdom of Ravka. One day, while protecting Mal, it is revealed that she too is Grisha with a very rare and sought after power: the ability to summon sunlight. She soon finds herself in a very different world filled with adventure, betrayal, and a sinister plot that could destroy all of Ravka.

Within the first 10% of Shadow and Bone I knew that I would give it at least 4 stars. The book begins quickly immersing the reader into the kingdom of Ravka head on. Terms are thrown at the reader at a reasonable pace for a fantasy novel and for once I didn't immediately feel overwhelmed or the need to "play ketchup" with the characters. I can tell Bardugo employed the rule of "show, don't tell" and I believe she did it well. I found myself hanging on the edge of my seat waiting for more of the world to be revealed to me. There was never a dull moment reading Shadow and Bone; no downtime for me to catch my breath. And I loved every minute of it!

I thought the plot was very well done and I got so caught up in the story that the plot twists just blew me away. I was so engrossed that by the time the climax hit I felt an intake of breath and couldn't tear myself away from the book for the duration of the read!

Oh. My. God. NOooooooo!

And the characters.... ahhhhh, the characters! I loved them all to pieces! Alina is naive, candid, and feeble in the beginning, but she grows so much throughout the novel. (Yes, Yes! I know! Character development! It really does still exist in YA novels!) Does she make mistakes? Absolutely! But she realizes them and she strives to be better. I can see there is a lot of conflict in her character to come in the next two novels in the series and I am VERY eager to see how that is handled. I also loved the Darkling. I can't really say much about him because I am NOT giving away any spoilers in this review--not even in a spoiler tag because I know how some of you are!-- but he was awesome! Just the right amount of intrigue and mystery. And Mal. *sigh* Oh, Mal. Let's just say he is another love interest we can add to our swoon worthy list right next to Tucker Avery. ;)

"I missed you every hour. And you know what the worst part was? It caught me completely by surprise. I'd catch myself just walking around to find you, not for any reason , just out of habit, because I'd seen something that I wanted to tell you about or because I wanted to hear your voice. And then I'd realize that you weren't there anymore, and every time, every single time, it was like having the wind knocked out of me. I've risked my life for you. I've walked half the length of Ravka for you, and I'd do it again and again and again just to be with you, just to starve with you and freeze with you and hear you complain about hard cheese every day. So don't tell me why we don't belong together," he said fiercely.

I think it goes without saying I loved the writing. The descriptions were vivid, easy to visualize and thankfully, not overdone (I'm really hoping there will be a map in the finished copy. Please tell me there's a map waiting for me!). The book is told through Alina's PoV, so we get a first hand account of the happenings. And boy are there some happenings! I'll tell you one thing, Bardugo can write a kissing scene... well. And the romance? Man, I just loved the romance. It was so sweet and by the end it just tore at my heart!

The moment our lips met, I knew with pure and piercing certainty that I would have waited for him forever.

*sigh*

This book. I just love it!

I'm really not sure what else to say about Shadow and Bone besides the obvious: it was awesome and you should read it. If you are a fantasy lover, rejoice! If fantasy isn't your thing, still rejoice! Because this is a book that is sure to take you and your heart on a wild adventure this summer.

EDIT: I've been informed that there will be a map included drawn by Keith Thompson! Click here to check it out!

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. As always, this review expresses my honest opinion of the book. No gifts or monetary funds were exchanged for a review.

Do you hear that? That's the sound of me eating my words. Girl of Nightmares truly surprised me. I'll be honest and say I wasn't expecting to love or even like it because originally Anna Dressed in Blood and I didn't get along. While everyone else ran around screaming high praises for it, I was left on the side lines. And I hate being on the sides lines. No matter how much I tried to love Anna Dressed in Blood I couldn't. It had too many open ends and I'm of the belief that even when you are reading a series each book must stand on its own merit. So I was disappointed, but I also wanted to give the second book a try because regardless of my initial reservations, it wasn't a bad book. And after that fun interview we did, I was convinced to try again. So imagine my delight when I started reading Girl of Nightmares and discover how much I was enjoying it. When I finished I felt like I had been on one epic ghost-busting adventure. And it was awesome.

Girl of Nightmares takes place six months after the events in Anna Dressed in Blood with Cas attempting to get on with his life without Anna. Unfortunately, that's not going so well for him since he continues to witness Anna being tortured in his sleep and while he is awake. I'm not going to go off and describe the blurb for you, but I will say Cas gets to the bottom of EVERYTHING in Girl of Nightmares.

Everything that I complained about in Anna Dressed in Blood were addressed in Girl of Nightmares. The plot is solid with no inconsistencies that I could see. In fact, I really loved the plot because there wasn't a dull moment. That partly has something to do with there being a lot of loose ends to cover: the mystery surrounding the athame, where Anna went, Cas' background, ect. Despite there being so many issues needing to be addressed, I never once felt like Blake info dumped or rushed through explanations. It was all very smooth and engaging. I didn't want to put my book down, but well, I have kids, so it was unavoidable. And that made me cranky. Also, this book was creepy! Do yourself a big favor and do NOT read the "Suicide Forest" scene late at night. *shudders*

Don't ask, just obey...

The characters have seen a considerable amount of character development, most notably being both Cas and Carmel. Cas is no longer the cocky little prick who all girls fawn over like he's God's gift to womenkind. In Girl of Nightmares he is a broken character struggling to let go of Anna. He obsesses over it constantly to the point where it interferes with his ability to ghost hunt. This was a Cas I could easily sympathize with and I wanted him to find a way for both Anna and him to be happy. As for Carmel... I can't really say much without giving away huge spoilers, but she was a badass. You will love her.

The best part of Girl of Nightmares was the hilarious dialogue. These characters feel so real to me because Blake has sat down and given them so much personality. Laughing is pretty much a given when reading Girl of Nightmares. You can't get around it. But that's okay because you want the humor when you in the midst of being scared shitless.

The ending was perfect. I can't say anything about it because I refuse to ruin the book for anyone, but I think fans will be very happy and satisfied. Or not. Who's to say? Lol.

But I would like to share with you a piece of wisdom. After finishing Girl of Nightmares I happened to learn one big lesson:

Reading this book in the second floor hallway right above the stairs at night, while my entire household was sleeping soundly, wasn't one of my best ideas. Learn from me.

This ARC was generously given to Kat and I by Kendare Blake. This in no way swayed my views of the book. In fact, I think she was expecting me to dislike it, but she'll just have to settle for my glowing review!

Well, well, well. Here I am yet again eating my words. A year ago, when I read Legend, I complained about the world building.Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Well, well, well. Here I am yet again eating my words. A year ago, when I read Legend, I complained about the world building. Mind you, I did think it was a fast-paced, exciting read, but it felt incomplete as a dystopian novel because I couldn't fully visualize how the society fit into the world as a whole. By the end, I was left with so many questions about how everything functioned. I felt like Marie Lu was purposefully keeping secrets from me just to string me along to book two. Well, I supposed it did work and to my immense delight, it was well worth the wait. And I loved it.

Instantly, I noticed a change from Legend to Prodigy. The biggest being the change in my opinion over the two main characters June and Day. Originally, June and I didn't mesh well, but in Prodigy that situation was flipped. It was Day that was the new thorn in my side for the majority of the book. From the beginning, June warns Day of the Patriots and their leader, Razor, but Day, blinded by his hatred of the Republic for destroying his family, fails to heed her warning. A part of this is due to doubt of June's loyalty being placed in his head from other Patriots and his best friend, Tess, who is not ashamed to show her dislike for June. And just when I thought I had it up to *here* with him, he wised up and took action. The "old" Day that warmed my heart in Legend was back.

June, on the other hand, I liked very much. I thought her character growth was a vast improvement from Legend because she's clearly learned from past actions. In Prodigy, she is more aware of the corruption in the Republic and is therefore able to pinpoint wary situations. Yet, the thing she struggles with the most in this sequel are her feelings for Day and how their relationship could possibly work out given their backgrounds. Can they remain together even with the knowledge that June's actions in Legend resulted in the murdering of his family? Are they simply too different for it to work being from opposite economic classes? And then there's Anden, the new Elector Primo, whose interest in June was shown in Legend and apparently still holding firm. Wouldn't it just be easier to be with someone like him? That's the predicament June finds herself in. And while it may sound rather angsty the way I've described it, I never felt it was overdone to the point of instant "headdesk-ation."

Another improvement was the world building. And with that, I'm now wondering if I'm often too hard on first books in dystopians. I'm noticing a trend with world building becoming more pronounced in the second books in series when I usually prefer some sort of set-up to the story. (Perhaps this is just my high-fantasy mind kicking into gear.) But everything came together nicely here. We found out how the country was split into two separate ones. We find out how the outside world views the Republic. We find out what's going on in the Colonies (though, I would have loved to hear more about them). Sure, I would have loved to know a little of this during Legend, but I have to say, I've enjoyed the ride thus far.

Finally, there's the ending, which I will warn other readers, does end in a rather disturbing cliffhanger. *sniff* In my Legend review, I complained about the illusion of Day and June's invincibility. N-n-not so in Prodigy. *hiccup*

Okay, okay. I admit it. I was a teensy bit emotional. But only for, like, five seconds (plus an hour or two...maybe...). And now I'm secretly cursing myself for ever complaining in the first place. Why? WHY?! WHY?! OH, GOD. WHY, DO AUTHORS KEEP DESTROYING MY FEELINGS?! First, I was in a bit of shock. Marie Lu wouldn't do that to me. I mean, she had built up the anticipation perfectly throughout the entire novel. I thought ALL THE THINGS were going to be okie-dokie.

*We interrupt your regularly scheduled review for a moment of angst*

/end *moment of angst*

(Er... Sorry, that was weird.)

So then when I finished the book and was LEFT ON THE BLOODY CLIFF, I was like, "Marie... no.... you, evil genius... no..." So basically, Marie Lu has me hook, line and sinker. I'm completely enthralled in this series and I can't wait to see what happens next.

There are exactly two types of books that I tend to gravitate towards: Dystopians and Greek myths. Both feature characters inActual rating: 4.5 stars

There are exactly two types of books that I tend to gravitate towards: Dystopians and Greek myths. Both feature characters in impossible, bleak situations. Those stories are dark, deadly and often times, down right tragic, not always ending with your standardized 'happily ever after.' Hmm... I'm not exactly sure what that says about me as a person, but I digress. I think the real allure is rooting for the underdogs even when it seems like they're up against the inevitable. It's the spark of hope in these character driven novels. The passion and determination of the main characters. The dynamic relationships that form as a result of these scenarios. But mostly importantly, it's the nagging thought in the back of your mind, wondering what you'd do if you were in their position, which paves the way for certain type of admiration for the strength in the protagonist. Everbound was that kind of book for me.

Immediately, after starting Everbound I had the sinking feeling it was going to tear at my heart. And I was right because obviously Nikki is still hurting over Jack's sacrifice with no way to save him. That is, until Cole reappears in her life and together they travel down to the Everneath to save Jack. And I should warn readers that this is not a happy novel and it does contain its fair share of teen angst, but, in my opinion, warranted. While Nikki and Cole navigate the Everneath, they rely heavily on her memories of Jack to show them the way. I was a little wary of the book containing flashbacks to help move the plot along because those types of novels don't seem to work well with me. Thankfully, I enjoyed it and I feel it helped fill the void for Jack's smallish role in this installment.

That's right. *weeps* There isn't much Jack in here. That made me really sad in the beginning, but then there was Cole, who is a completely different character for the better. Nikki is oblivious to Cole's feelings for her and at times that did annoy me. What was it going to take for her to see it? Did his love have to punch her in the face? Apparently. Yet, she failed to take much notice and that, unfortunately, led to a tragic ending... And if you're wondering, yes, there is a cliffhanger. In this case, I liked it only because I think Ashton set it up nicely even though I must now suffer more than a year to know what happens next (WHY?! *weeps* HOW SHALL I SURVIVE?).

Another thing I loved about Everbound was how much action was added this time around. Whereas Everneath moved as a slower pace and it almost felt like you could feel Nikki coming out her drugged haze, Everbound is the opposite with just enough action sequences, paired with bittersweet flashback memories of Nikki and Jack. But at the same time there is this layer of urgency to get to Jack before he disappears forever. So many obstacles are thrown at our characters, that I started to doubt if there would be any sort of resolution because Ashton doesn't make it easy for them. After all, this is based on a Greek myth. Remember all the tragedy, pain and suffering? Ashton really doesn't hold back and I really appreciated it.

Then there is the love triangle. And I really have to applaud Ashton for it. I know, I know. Not another dreaded love triangle. But let me tell you, I LOVE IT. Originally, I was solidly on Jack's side, but I'm finding myself more and more conflicted as this series goes on (much like I am with the Unearthly series). There seems to be so much more to Cole than I expected. He's such a complex character and learning more about his past in Everbound had me questioning who the true antagonist is. Cole says there are no heroes. But is he just resisting the person he could be or has he accepted his fate and role as a true Everliving? I am unsure. All I know is that I was throughly deceived in this book. Like, egg all over my face. Feels rain down on me. Then by the end, ultimately, I drowned in it.

Usually, I have this habit where I rate books immediately after finishing the last page and this, admittedly, leads to a lot of books having inflated ratings from me. (I'm working on that.) But even after leaving Everbound's review waiting to be written for almost a week, I still feel this was an excellent second novel. I expected to find "Second Book Syndrome," but instead we have a story that significantly picked up the action, dived into more complex characterization and a conclusion that left me stunned. I think fans of Everneath will loves this and those who weren't particularly impressed with the first book will find a better novel here. There's really not much to say other than to wonder, how many children must I offer up for book three?

Interested in winning an ARC? Check back with us at the end of the month for our Top Cuddles of 2012 Giveaway Hop. (Yes, that was a bit of shameless self-promotion. I regret nothing.)

ARC was provided by HarperTEEN. Thank you! As usual, no monies or favors were exchanged for a positive review. I just happened to like something all by my lonesome. Shocking, I know.

This is a difficult review to write. Most of the things I want to talk about (good and bad) involve giving away huge spoilers.Actual rating: 2.5 stars

This is a difficult review to write. Most of the things I want to talk about (good and bad) involve giving away huge spoilers. Once has a pretty big plot twist early in the story - one that I'm almost ashamed to admit I didn't see coming - making it close to impossible for me to adequately express my thoughts. But I'm going to try really hard to give a nice little run down of the book without ruining it for you.

Once picks up a few months after the events in Eve and our protagonist finds herself miserable in Califi, missing both Caleb and Arden. In this installment Eve, despite her best efforts, ends up in the King's clutches in the Sand City. There she is reunited with Caleb and members of the trail, who is now a wanted man for murder of New American soldiers. However, this doesn't seem to deter Eve and Caleb from stealing moments away together. But little does she know that the King has other plans for her. Big plans.

As always, I'd like to start with the good. I was really looking forward to reading Once due to the crafty little cliffhanger at the end of Eve. I hate that nagging feeling of needing to know how things end because it bothers me over and over until I know. Thankfully, I got to find out my burning question of why the King wanted Eve so badly within the first 20% of the novel. Yay for me, but boo for you since you'll be reading a review where I attempt to skate around all the plot twists and revelations this book seemed to be chock-full of. One thing that I really liked about Once was the setting. The City of Sand is in essence a restored Las Vegas and I could definitely visualize the different locations. Carey succeeds at painting the mental image of the city and bringing it to life. I expected no less considering I did enjoy Carey's writing in Eve. I also felt myself warming up to Eve this time around too. That is partly due to her making a better attempt at helping the friends she left behind and showing more concern for others.

Unfortunately, I didn't quite enjoy this one as much as I did Eve, but I think that is mainly because I connected with the minor characters, who for the most part, are absent in Once. (I missed the dugout boys!) Instead we are introduced to a few newbies including the King, Beatrice (Eve's maid), and members of the trail. But most of the novel focuses on Eve and her constant struggle to break free from the hold the King has on her. And while I did start to warm up with her, after a while I found her actions to be a little too reckless (as they were in Eve) and I started feeling genuinely frustrated with both her and Caleb. It almost seemed like their decisions were intentionally poor just to move the plot in the direction Carey wanted it. For example, when Eve sneaks out the palace to meet Caleb, she's very concerned that he may get caught, but Caleb shrugs all concerns off. I understand that some teenagers feel invincible, but this felt like he didn't have any common sense. That surprised me because he seemed like a smarter character in Eve. He was much more cautious, but here I found him throwing all caution he used to have to the wind. By the end, he was practically flaunting a sign around his neck that read, "HERE I AM!"

Despite my bigger disappointments with this installment, I didn't hate it and did find myself enjoying the interesting relationship between Eve and the King. And c'mon, that ending! I felt like Carey and HarperCollins punk'd me when I went to turn the page and all I saw was: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Cruel, I tell you!

I'd recommend this book to fans of the first book, Eve. But if you disliked Eve, chances are Once will have little to offer you.

Okay, WOW. I commission everyone to go out and read this series. Because... because... because of reasons. Awesome reasons.

Why is it that eve4.5 stars

Okay, WOW. I commission everyone to go out and read this series. Because... because... because of reasons. Awesome reasons.

Why is it that every time I finish a novel by R.J. Anderson, I can't find the right words to review it? How can I possibly give someone a run down of a book with so many twists and turns and plain old fashion AWESOME? I can do better than that. Let me try this again.

Quicksilver had me flipping pages as fast as humanly possible from beginning to end. If you are a sci-fi fan and you haven't read Quicksliver's predecessor, Ultraviolet, then my question to you would be: DUDE, what the hell are you waiting for?!

Even though I thought Ultraviolet was slightly predictable, I enjoyed every minute of it. Immediately after finishing the last page, I knew I needed a sequel. So I waited and waited. And when I saw Quicksilver appear on NetGalley, I quickly requested it. I hadn't even read the synopsis because I had made up my mind a year ago that I'd read it no matter what it was about. You know that feeling when you've read a book that you've been highly anticipating and it exceeds your expectations? Yeah... THAT. And since it's really hard to review this book without giving away spoilers, I'm just going to tell you three things I LOVED about Quicksilver.

Plot:

So when I said I didn't even read the description before starting Quicksilver, I really meant it. I went in expecting the story to pick up from Alison's point of view and was surprised to learn that it was Tori Beaugrand instead, proving once again that reading is indeed fundamental. And I was initially hesitant to this change because Tori wasn't a character that I exactly liked in Ultraviolet. But after reading the first chapter and hearing her 'voice', I was a fan.

The novel starts with Tori, her mother and father moving to a different city to avoid police curiosity and more questioning. She leaves behind her old life, friends and even Alison, to start over, renaming herself Niki. She hopes that the events that occurred at the end of Ultraviolet are far behind her, but she later finds out she is still in danger of returning to Mathis, the scientist who had originally sent her to earth as an experiment. With the help of the enigmatic Sebastian Faraday and a new character, Milo, Tori races against time to do whatever it takes to remain on Earth.

There really wasn't any slow moments or down time in Quicksilver. Tori has a very short window to destroy the relay's ability to beam her back to Mathis and the clock is ticking throughout the entire novel. Quite literally too if you consider the binary countdown clock at the beginning of each new chapter. I thought that was a really nice touch and added an extra level of suspense. I really wish I could say more about the plot without spoiling anything, but I can't. The plot twists, however, were very well-placed and unexpected.

Dynamic Characters:

Anderson really takes her novels to another level with her characters. First it was Alison with her synesthesia and then there is Tori. I can't really say what it is about her that makes her such an interesting character because it's a spoiler, but I have never seen that done in a YA novel. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen it done at all in any book I've read. It's like Anderson picks these different aspects to really make her characters stand out and feel REAL.

These characters have real issue that don't just get solved with fairy dust by the end of the novel. And in Quicksilver, Tori is put in the worst possible situations to the point where I was genuinely horrified during one scene. I kept thinking that Anderson would save her from such a fate, but that's what I love about her books. Her characters don't always get what they want and you can just feel their pain and desire for it. But you also feel their resolve of the inevitable. Just as in Ultraviolet where I was rooting so hard for Sebastian and Alison to somehow get together by the end of the novel and... it didn't happen. I was flabbergasted that Anderson would leave Alison so broken after everything she had been through and not give her one piece of happiness.

So I was hoping, with all the power that a reader could posses, that they would work things out. BUT UGH, it's so dang complicated! I was angry, yet I was I happy. Strangely, I sorta love it when an author GOES THERE and doesn't give her characters and readers what they expect and want. It makes for a more powerful story.

The Last 25%:

W-H-O-A. That was INTENSE. During that scene my heart was racing sooooo hard! If you ever get a chance to read this book, then you'll understand what I mean. And I really appreciate how things were resolved, but at the same time a small bit of conflict still remains, because there are consequences for our actions, even in the fictional world.

So if you are on the market, looking for a suspenseful sci-fi novel with and engaging plot and fresh characters, look no further. I highly recommend Quicksilver.

Once again I find myself at a loss for words and I do believe I'm suffering from Marchetta Fever. If you've read any book by her, you may know the symOnce again I find myself at a loss for words and I do believe I'm suffering from Marchetta Fever. If you've read any book by her, you may know the symptoms yourself: First it's the euphoria that sets in right after you complete the book. Then, you find yourself thinking about the book long after you finish. You have the inability to form a single, coherent thought to review the book. And in the final stages, your palms go sweaty with the need for the next book. There is a reason why Marchetta is considered a master storyteller and if that wasn't evident enough for me in Finnikin of the Rock, then it's now blatantly obvious.

Froi of the Exiles takes place a few years after Finnikin of the Rock's conclusion and is told from Froi's point of view. At first, I was leery of that fact because I really disliked Froi in Finnikin due to the rape attempt on Isaboe. How do you redeem a character that was once viewed as a monster? I didn't know if it were possible to pull it off or pull it off well, but I was wrong. Froi has come a long way since Finnikin and I think the other character's views on Froi really played a big part in my ability to connect with him. For example, we learn in the beginning that he's made a bond with Isaboe to never take another woman by force. Yet, he goes further and says he never will take a woman because he doesn't trust himself. With each chapter, I saw Froi battling his inner demons. But what's even more interesting is that, for me, Froi's redemption came through Quintana's characterization. Because, for Froi, Quintana is the product of what his actions could have created and at the same time falling in love with this very broken girl. I could go on and on about that dynamic, but I'll suffice to say that the character growth in Froi of the Exiles is phenomenal.

The plotting was nothing short of sheer brilliance. I've said this before, but the only other author that I find comparable to this level of plotting is J.K. Rowling. While I did find the pacing slower than Finnikin, there were so many twists and revelations that kept me on the edge of my seat. We learn more about Froi's past and I'm still blown how it all came together. There is simply no way to predict anything in this novel. And sometimes I feel like with being an avid reader, you get to the point where you start recognizing certain plot trends and twists. So by the time something is being revealed, it doesn't really shock you. But not with Marchetta. Her plot was woven so thick, I had to take it in piece by piece.

By the end of the novel, I felt the same as I did with Finnikin. I felt like I had gone on such an intense emotional journey because so many events had taken place and I needed time to process everything. I loved everything about this book and though, right after finishing I hungered for Quintana of Charyn, I knew I simply couldn't read The Lumatere Chronicles back to back. I'll need to take a mini break before I dive into the conclusion that is sure to turn me into a swirling vortex of emotions. And that, in my humble opinion, is the true mark of a fantastic series.

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. (I'm just really late in getting to it.)

Sometime after this review was written Kat Kennedy and I traveled down the River Styx to interview Brodi Ashton. Check out the interview here!

Right afSometime after this review was written Kat Kennedy and I traveled down the River Styx to interview Brodi Ashton. Check out the interview here!

Right after I finished Everneath I gave it 4 stars right off the bat. It was an easy read with a great story and fantastical characters. Why didn't I give it five stars? I had to to think on that. So, I spent an entire week trying to figure out what it was about Everneath that I disliked. Conclusion:

It's true, folks. I don't have any negative things to say about Everneath. I LOVED it.

Everneath tells the story of Nikki Beckett, who having since vanished 6 months ago to the Everneath, returns to her family and friends seeking a way to permanently say goodbye before she returns to the Underworld for good. However, “bad boy”, Cole, the immortal who first took her to the Everneath, wants to make her his immortal queen and forget about those she left behind. With a period of only six months, Nikki struggles to fight her addiction to Cole, right her wrongs, and somehow find a loop hole that will keep her with her loved ones.

There are a few aspects in Everneath that make it stand out above the usual follies in the paranormal romance genre. For all of those novels that have done it wrong over and over, Everneath does it right.

What I LOVED and can't get enough of (baby):

The Characters:

Are you tired of the usual teen angst? The main character and the love interest seeming to have some whack, ass-grabbed excuse for why they can't be together? Well, so am I. Each character in this book felt like they were extremely well-developed with real issues. Nikki is looking for redemption for something she knows is her fault. She's not looking for anyone to save her. She's not pouting in the corner having a FML moment. She's doing something about it. It was her decision to go with Cole to the Everneath and allow him to feed off of her. She could have blamed it on Jack's actions, but she took full responsibility.

Cole is a very complex character. He tries very hard to convince Nikki to leave her home and become an immortal, Everliving, like him and rule as queen. But, Nikki doesn't want that. While reading, the reader is left to wonder if he is genuine when he says he cares about her or is her just playing her. Somehow Ashton manages to make us somewhat sympathetic to Cole, but she still reminds the reader that he is the bad boy. How many times do we see the heroine being instantly swept away by the bad boy's good looks? Or how about getting lost in his glorious deep eyes, that also happen to be the exact shade of the darkest pits in hell? Or my personal favorite: stalk me! I love it when you creep! *barf* Kill me now. Nikki doesn't back down from her guns. Cole follows her and she tells his ass to take a hike. Cole stakes out at her window and she tells that fool to get lost. However, there always still remains intrigue surrounding Cole. I expect to see a lot more from him in the next book.

Jack is the sweetest love interest I've read about in a while. He never gives up on Nikki when she disappears for 6 months. He was supportive and kind throughout the entire novel. Ladies, and I'm not saying this mildly, if you love Tucker Avery (view spoiler)[if you don't know who that is, you are DEAD to me! (view spoiler)[just kidding...sorta (hide spoiler)](hide spoiler)], then I'm sure you will love Jack too. Jack suspects something is amiss with Nikki and despite her not being as forthcoming about it, he steadily is always there patiently waiting until she is ready to talk.

I mean, how can you say no to a book with characters that awesome?!

The Triangle of Love:

Ashton plays this pretty slick. As I've already mentioned, Nikki avoids Cole's advances, but I know where this is headed. I'm just way too smart to be fooled!But, you know what? I think this will be one of those cases where I'll like it. In fact, I'm going to make a rather bold statement here and say this love triangle resembles Cynthia Hand's Unearthly. Yes, I said it. You see Hand and Ashton are doing something very interesting with their romances. They both have strong female leads that clearly have a preference in the department of who they want to end up with. They struggle to ward off advances from the other male love interest, but because of factors out of their control (this is called a plot people!) they must tolerate him. He isn't around just to make the "good guy" look extra nice with his boy next door, award winning smile. He has a purpose besides trying to steal away the girl. Not only that, but the heroine knows this and tries everything in her power to not get involved with the "bad boy" because, duh!, he is BAD. And that is why it works for me. It makes me so happy someone has stopped trying to sell me the arrogant "bad boy" as a viable love interest when he has zero redeeming features! Thank you, Ashton. Gold star!

One of the best messages this novel has is the consequences of co-dependent relationships. They reason why Nikki left to go to the Everneath was a direct result of an event involving her boy friend, Jack (coupled with a few other things). Similarly, Jack loses it completely when Nikki disappears. The reason why it works in this story is because both characters acknowledged those actions were not healthy and both regretted it. Their knee-jerk reaction and violent depression is not romanticized in any way. I really wish more authors portrayed this message more often in their novels because it's important to show that losing your boy friend/girl friend can suck, but it is not the end of the world.

The Plot:

That's right, this book has one! Nikki is on a mission: redemption. That is what she attempts to gain in this novel. When she disappeared into the Everneath 6 months ago, she left a lot of relationships strained and now she is looking to fix them. She doesn't stray from that path and suddenly start fantasizing about the "bad boy" randomly. This is what makes this book such a winner because too often I see the plot being left in the bloody dust because an author thought it would be "totally romantic" to have the heroine frolic through the gardens with one of her boy toys. I'm happy to say that did not happen here. You ever heard of the saying "no romance without finance"? Well, I'm introducing a new saying: No romance without plot progress. While this is a paranormal romance through and through, the plot is always in the front.

The Ending:

So sad, but so perfect. I love how things are tied up nicely, yet you know there is more to come. I'm really excited to read the next book, but I don't feel like Ashton left me to walk the plank with Everneath's ending. Thank you for that. There are only so many cliffhangers I can take before my poor little heart gives out. It will be very interesting to see where she takes this story.

So, if you are tired of the usual run of the mill paranormal romances, you should head right on over to your book store and pick up Everneath. You're in for a treat!

ARC received through NetGalley. As always, these are my honest opinions and I was not paid for my review!

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A Monster Calls has to be the most inventive book I've read this year. And I find myself struggling to put in words how much this book has touched me.A Monster Calls has to be the most inventive book I've read this year. And I find myself struggling to put in words how much this book has touched me. But it did. If you haven't read A Monster Calls, I suggest you immediately purchase it. Don't read the e-book because you would miss out on the amazing artwork. This book is stunning. Masterfully written and beautifully drawn.

I remember the first time a book made me cry like this. I was in eighth grade in my English class, sitting under my desk in the back of the room reading A Walk to Remember. If you've read that book you will probably understand why I cried. I'm naturally an emotional person, you see. I cry easily if I see another's suffering. At the time I was fortunate enough to not have yet experience the feeling of losing someone close to you. Unfortunately, I know that feeling all too well now and that is the reason I was initially afraid to read A Monster Calls. I saw my GoodReads friends reading and reviewing the book, but I couldn't bring myself to add it to my shelf. I had an idea of where it could take me emotionally, and it's not a place I choose to visit. I keep those memories locked up and tucked away. But this book made me remember. It made me remember the phone call. It made me remember the shock, the pain, the regret, the denial, the limo ride, the funeral, the casket, the anger, the depression, the trials. It made me remember my brother, who on some days I choose to forget because it's easier that way. Maybe that sounds horrible, but it's true. It's an awful truth.

So, how do you write a review for a book that makes you remember? How can I describe in words how unbelievably vulnerable this book can make you feel? How do I explain the beauty of the frailty? I simply can't. My advice would be to go into this book blind. You have to or you risk doing a disservice to yourself, this book and the wonderful story within its pages. I suppose you are just going to have to trust me when I say A Monster Calls is beyond amazing. It's about loss, acceptance, grief, facing your fears, and letting go. This book made me laugh, made me think, tore out my heart, made me cry, and healed me. I hope, no, I know it will do the same for others...

Let me go ahead and get this out of the way. I loved this book. Why in the wWhy?

WHY DIDN'T I READ THIS BOOK SOONER?!

It was so AWESOME!

MY EMOTIONS!!

Let me go ahead and get this out of the way. I loved this book. Why in the world did I procrastinate with reading it? I've had Cinder sitting on my Kindle for a few months now and I continued to put it off over and over again. What a HUGE mistake! I even had the nerve to go into my local bookstore twice, pick Cinder up, and put it right back down. But all that doesn't really matter now because I've remedied the problem and absolutely fallen in love with this wonderful story.

When I first heard of Cinder before it's release, it was gaining quite a bit of buzz known for the retelling of Cinderella. Marissa Meyer, my hat's off to you because a cyborg Cinderella in New Beijing, China? Badass. But then shortly before I read it, another blogger informed me that not only is it a Cinderella retelling, but also had Sailor Moon elements. OMG... someone had answered my prayers! I don't think you can understand my excitement for that.

Sailor Moon was my all-time favorite TV show and manga as a child. Reading Cinder reminded me of a simpler time before responsibilities, when the biggest thing I had to worry about was setting up the VCR (yes, a throwback!) every day because at 4pm, right before Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon would come on. If I were to miss one episode, I would cry my little eyes out because I just had to know what happened next to Serena! I have seen every episode including the fifth season that didn't air in America. I've even seen the live action series in all Japanese. And for those that watch subtitled Japanese shows, you know that there comes a time in your marathon watching where you stop reading the subtitles and start thinking Japanese in your sleep. Yes, I am super fangirling and not ashamed one bit! So I think it goes without saying that the reasons for me loving Cinder so much, aside from being blasted by a rainbow of awesome with its creative premise, is that it has a lot to do with sentimental memories. I tell you this so you can understand one big thing:

I wasn't sure about Cinder at first. As soon as the book started I noticed on every obvious downfall: Predictability. Seriously, the plot twist ran up to me and sucker punched me in the face at only 10% in. This concerned me, but it quickly became a non-issue as I continued to read. Why? Because the story was interesting. It was engaging. It was just plain old fun! And I haven't had this much fun reading a book in a while.

The plot was brilliantly done. Cinder is a mechanic, under appreciated by her mother and one of her step-sisters. The other step-sister adores her. As a cyborg she doesn't have the same rights as a normal person and her step-mother goes out of her way to remind Cinder this whenever she can. One day Prince Kai (*swoon*) requests her services to fix his android. And in true fairy tale fashion he begins to fall for her not knowing she is a cyborg. But this isn't just a love story. Oh no! The world has been suffering from a deadly disease that kills in a matter of days and it starts to become painfully obvious that Earth's only hope for a cure depends on an alliance with the evil Lunar Queen. And as you may have guessed it, she has plans for Earth. Dun, dun, duuuunnnnnn!

I loved all the characters in Cinder, especially the heroine. Cinder was independent, feisty, and relatable. She didn't always make the right decision, but this is a heroine that learns from her mistakes. And Tuxedo Mask Prince Kai? I loved him.

Ah, the memories!

The romance was so sweet. At first Cinder is wary of the Prince's advances because she is cyborg and doesn't want him to find out, but she can't help but develop feelings for him along the way. Basically what I'm saying here is that there's no insta-love. And you know how much I hate insta-love!

Oh, and that ending! Marissa Meyer, how could you do that to my little heart? I need to know what happens now! You took two of my favorite stories and twisted them into this big ball of badass awesomeness and now I'm expected to wait until next year for book two?! And just look at the character line-up for the next books in the series: Scarlet, Cress and Winter. Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White?! I am so there. Just so we are clear, I'm not above stalking.

You know that book you're reading right now? How about all those books on your "TBR" list? FORGET ABOUT 'EM!

I first stumbled across Laini Taylor whenYou know that book you're reading right now? How about all those books on your "TBR" list? FORGET ABOUT 'EM!

I first stumbled across Laini Taylor when I was encouraged by several of my GoodReader friends to read Lips Touch. So, I read it and while I enjoyed it, I wasn't blown away. However, I think it was a "It's not you, it's me" situation because anthologies and I don't really get along. I went into this book thinking it was just another PNR, Angel style. I couldn't have been more wrong. If Romeo & Juliet and the story of the Trojan War had a literary baby, that in turn grew up, rebelled, and decided to have paranormal creatures in a fantasy sort of world, it would be Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Okay, that makes almost no sense. Here, let me simplify it for you:

Laini Taylor

..........................blew

.......................................my

.................................................mind

...............................................................

Karou is just your ordinary 17-year-old girl living as an art student in the beautiful city of Prague. She has blue hair, collects languages as birthday gifts, and runs errands collecting teeth. Okay, so maybe she's not so "ordinary." But one day, while running one of her "errands," she runs into a mysterious stranger named Akiva who attacks her. After that moment, her life forever changes and she finds herself on the cusp of unraveling the secret behind her most burning question:"Who am I?"

There are some stories that make you say, "Wow! That person's imagination was going into overdrive." Harry Potter, Star Wars and the Pendragon series immediately come to mind. While reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone I was mesmerized by Taylor's vivid descriptions and she easily fits in the above category as well. As with the first time I read a Laini Taylor novel, I had to get adjusted to her unique writing style. Karou and the mystery surrounding her past are so interesting you just sucked into the story. I literally could not put the book down and it took over my life for a few days causing me to abandon a few of my responsibilities.

Internal dialog:"I'll just read one more page then I cook dinner." "Well, I might as well finish this chapter since I'm halfway through it.""Dammit I forgot to feed the kids, but I'm hitting the climax...must.put.book.down."

Thanks to crafty little plan of mine, AKA take-out, no one starved. That just shows you how addictive this book was for me!

And let's talk about the love interest, Akiva. *sigh* Where do I begin with him?! Oh, ya! Hey Stephenie Meyer, this is how you write a tortured character. Akiva has a very real painful past that he carries with him. When he meets Karou is is drawn to her for some unknown reason and she to him. Wait, what's that you say? Isn't that insta-love? Preposterous! Laini Taylor is so above that. Don't be fooled young padewon like I was.

The first half of the book is so full of mystery it will have you begging for answers and Taylor does not disappoint. You've heard of that little rule "show, don't tell?" Well, Laini is the freakin' queen of doing just that. She shows you everything and by the end you're like:and then:

I can't say anything more about this book. I refuse to spoil anything. Just go read it now!

Actual rating: 3.5 (I think? Geez, I don't know! I just know I liked it a lot, okay?)

Wow. I did not expect to enjoyObsidian as much as I did. For someActual rating: 3.5 (I think? Geez, I don't know! I just know I liked it a lot, okay?)

Wow. I did not expect to enjoy Obsidian as much as I did. For some reason, I've just been avoiding it, but it was always there in my Twitter and GoodReads feeds. Daemon was frickin' invading my life. Finally, after seeing everyone change their avatars to the Lux series' covers, I felt I had to check it out. Almost all of my friends have given this book anywhere from 3-5 stars, but most averaging around 4. So naturally I had to read it to see what the big fuss was about. I was initially wary because I had heard Obsidian was Twilight all over again and we all know how I feel about Twilight and its reincarnations. But surprisingly, I really liked it! Weirdly enough, I could probably go on and on why I didn't like it, but I don't have that urge. I have an urge to hug this book closely because it made me laugh on more than one occasion. Also, Armentrout. I want to hug her too. Because despite Obsidian's headdesk-worthy clichés, I cannot deny... it's an enchanting read. Either that, of I probably shouldn't be drinking while reading.... Ha! Yeah, right.

Another reviewer said, "It was as if the author felt obligated to fix Twilight catastrophe and tried make it right again" and I completely agree with her. I'll even take it a step further and say it was like Armentrout woke up one day and said, "I'm going to write a book using all the tropes and clichés people usually hate and they're still gonna love the shit out of this book." You might be wondering, "How can one possibly make Twilight better?!" Well, let's take a look at Armentrout's plan for blogosphere domination:

Step One: Create a likable and relatable main character.

How do you make a female main character instantly relatable to most of the female blogging community? The answer is so simple I'm honestly kicking myself that I've never thought of it before. You make her one of them. There are so many books I've read where the protagonist is an avid reader. And now I usually find myself going, "YAWN. She can read. Good for her." But not here in Obsidian. Because not only does Katy love to read, but she is a book blogger. Say what? This main character has a... hobby other than staring at her hot next-door neighbor? Nice. Not only that, but Katy is smart, funny, witty and gives Jerkface Daemon a run for his money.

Step Two: Add a bad boy with two scoops of asshole.

Ah, the bad boy. Almost every girl goes through the "bad boy phase." It's like a black hole, totally unavoidable, unless you happen to be smarter than the rest of us, in which case, you rock. But there's just something about the thrill of fooling around with someone you know you have no business fooling around with. It can be the best and worst days of your life. That is... until you grow up and get married! XD

Anyway, that's kinda what Daemon is for Katy in Obsidian. He is the irresistible, hot, bad boy who Katy can't deny she's attracted to. But the kicker is that even though Daemon treats her awfully (reasons are revealed in Shadows), she's not one of those heroines that sits back and accepts that. It's one of the first times I've seen a YA heroine differentiate between love and lust. Here's a girl who is saying, "Okay this guy pretty much sets my panties on fire and I would totally exercise him in my bedroom (and possibly in the kitchen by the buttered rolls), but I'm not gonna because he's a complete asshole and I'm better than that." How refreshing!

And yeah, maybe Daemon is a nice guy underneath all his Jerk-titude, but that doesn't mean Katy has to bend over backwards and ignore his past behavior. Armentrout sets up Daemon's character for redemption because finally someone is saying, "Enough with all the douchebags treating the heroine like shit and still ending up with her in the end just by apologizing." And that is why Obsidian ultimately won me over. At first I couldn't figure out how everyone could love a book when the love interest was a complete tool, but when Katy gave Daemon the one finger salute with a nice "fuck you very much," I knew I was won over.

Step Three: Choose a paranormal creature that isn't written to death.

Vampires? Ugh. Werewolves? Old news. Fairies? Boooring! How about something we don't get to see a lot of in YA? Something that will grab your attention! (And I'm not talking about Daemon's... er... friendly nature.)

Actually, now that I think of it. That image is pretty accurate.

Maybe I'm not as well read as I thought I was with YA novels, but I don't see a lot of PNR authors tackling aliens. And what a shame! There is so much untapped potential there. In Obsidian you have hundreds of aliens living in West Virginia amongst humans. They're in the schools, holding normal jobs and interacting with humans on a regular basis. So what happens if someone finds out their secret? Awesomeness happens. That's what.

Step Four: Make overused YA cliché and tropes interesting again.

Girl moves to a new small town? Check. Heroine doesn't know she's beautiful? Check. Single parent home who has a convenient excuse to leave the heroine alone for long stretches? Check. Paranormal characters hit the genetics jackpot lottery? DOUBLE CHECK. Love interest is so hot he practically melts the heroine's panties off with a grin? Check. Boy save girl from near death experience, therefore revealing his paranormal abilities? Check. Boy tries to deny those abilities? Check. Girl is allergic to his bullshit? Check. I admit, some of these this did bother me, but in the end, it didn't matter too much, especially since there is no insta-love and Katy is frickin' awesome! Hmm... This review turned into one huge lovefest for the MC, Katy. How odd.

Gah! This is unexpected. I think my rating is more of a 3.5? 3.75? Got dammit! I don't even know. All I know is my emotions are confused. THEY ARE CONFUSED! This book is like Twilight. But I hate Twilight. Wait... does that mean I like Twilight?! NO. I refuse to believe that.

Ahhhh! Katy, I love you. Daemon Edward, I want to shake you.

There are so many things in Obsidian I despise. But I still liked this book. A lot.

Review to come after I sort out these strange feelings.

And now I'm off to buy Onyx from Amazon even though it's 3am.

Armentrout, what have you done to me? Who am I becoming? Cat woman? (Between you and me, I look pretty damn hot in all leather.) (Okay, that made no sense and was really random.) Gahhhhh!!!

This is my favorite book of 2011! This review may contain extreme amounts of gushing!

I...I...I...

-----

The above was my immediate reaction after finisThis is my favorite book of 2011! This review may contain extreme amounts of gushing!

I...I...I...

-----

The above was my immediate reaction after finishing this book. There simply were no words to describe how much I loved it, how it horrified me, shocked me, tore at my heart again and again. Brilliant.

2011 turned out to be a great year for Angel books for me. I know that might seem strange when you think of the more popular horrible ones **cough* Hush, Hush*cough*Halo*cough*Fallen*cough**. But there is indeed hope for this paranormal genre. I thought this genre couldn't get any better than Unearthly, Angel, or Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Then, I read Angelfall. Are the literary gods playing a joke on me? How ironic for me to find my favorite book of 2011 in the last week of the year.

I'm going to do this review a little differently. I'm not going to go in some extreme in-depth talk about how awesome this book is because there are a few other reviews that do that and I don't think I could do the book any justice even if I tried. Instead, I'm going to give you ten reasons why you should go purchase this book RIGHT NOW.

1.Angelfall kicks off right from the start with plenty of action and never settles down. Expect little to no sleep until you've finished.

2. Penryn is my pick for strongest heroine of 2011. In fact, I created a new shelf just for her: "Ass-kickin' heroine." Between how she sticks up for herself and her awesomely cool, Kung Fu Panda-type skills, she's a fuckin' boss. Bet on it.

3. Witty Dialogue. There are so many quotes I could paste into my review, but I can't because I'd end up just pasting the entire book. But I will paste my absolute favorite:

Yeah, he's a badass 'G.' Susan, how do you come up with this stuff? I was thoroughly entertained!

4. The post-apocalyptic world. It's shocking, horrifying, and any other adjective you can possibly use to describe the emotion you feel while reading this book. It's a world I could never live in. I'd pretty much put my head between my legs and kiss my ass goodbye.

5. Susan did her research. Angel books run the risk of not being true to their mythological "rules." I think you know what I'm talking about here. Halo: Only eight angels fell from Heaven? Let's get real. The Mortal Instruments: Nephilim are the good guys? You've got to be kidding me. The Succubus series: Angels hanging out with Demons playing cards? Really? Really, dude? Susan created a realistic world of angels while somehow managing to not sound preachy and staying true to their original mythical cannon.

6. Because I said so.

7. The plot twists will leave you twisted. You will never see the climax or the ending coming. It blows you away.

8.Angelfall is like a weird mix between Planet of the Apes, Resident Evil and Frankenstein. Yes, it is possible for a book to be that awesome. This is that book.

9. Did I mention the dialogue? I did? Oh, well...it was so amazeballs that it deserves another separate reason. Annnddddd...I quote:

I never kid about my warrior demigod status."Oh. My. God." I lower my voice, having forgotten to whisper. "You are nothing but a bird with an attitude. Okay, so you have a few muscles, I'll grant you that. But you know, a bird is nothing but a barely evolved lizard. That's what you are.

“You're like a little girl demanding answers to questions during a covert operation. Why is the sky blue, daddy? Can I ask that man with the machine gun where the bathroom is? If you don't stay quiet, I'm going to have to dump you.”

“Leaking sacks of mutated maggots?" He raises his perfectly arched eyebrow as though I'd just failed my verbal insult exam.”

“Oh, please. Your giant head is getting too big for this forest. Pretty soon, you're going to get stuck trying to walk between two tress. And then, I'll have to rescue you." I give him a weary look. "Again.”

“Those pigeons couldn't take us out if they send their entire chirping flock.”

Must.Stop.Quoting.

10. Let us not forget the most important reason of all: NO INSTA-LOVE FOUND HERE! I like my romance slow burning and taking a backseat to the plot and action. Angelfall did just that. I likey. I likey a lot.

It is only $.99! You have no reason NOT to buy this book! Go do it now!

And I know I say reviews are not for authors but for readers. However, Susan, if you happen to read this review I just have two things to say to you:

Hmm...Where do I even start with this book? I guess I should start by saying The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and I have this awkward love/hate relationshiHmm...Where do I even start with this book? I guess I should start by saying The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and I have this awkward love/hate relationship. If this book were a person, it'd be the boyfriend I sometimes had fun with, but never wanted to take with me in public because I knew he would do something stupid and embarrass the hell outta me. For majority of the first half of the book, I wanted to stomp it into the ground with my pair of patent leather pumps. However, somewhere along the lines, I started to enjoy myself a bit. I'd hear a strange sounds coming from my mouth only to realize, "Oh my, that was a chuckle." In many ways, I can really see why so many people would really like this book, but I can also see why others would want to gorge their eyes out with a high school cafeteria spork.

Mara Dyer wakes up in a hospital bed one day with no recollection of how she got there or what happened to her friends who were killed in the accident that she managed to survive. Hoping for a new beginning, her family packs up and moves to Florida. As the memories Mara thought were lost start to slowly make a reappearance and dead bodies seem to pop up like daisies, she notices something is not quite right with her. She, then, struggles to keep hold of reality while trying to figure out the mystery of what really happened to her in her old hometown.

The Good:

I'll start with the good first since there are a few things I did like and I have so much more "bad" to rant about later in the review.The cover is beautiful! It has to be one of my favorite covers of the year and I get shivers just looking at it. Not only that, but the book's premise really appealed to me and is easily the biggest reason why I continued to turn page after page. It was a surprisingly quick and easy read and the writing style wasn't bad either. I really appreciated that both of Mara's parents were around, even though they seemed to dissapear at the most convenient of times. And like I said earlier some of the dialog I did enjoy and found funny. Most of the best moments for this book is between Mara and Noah, the love interest.

...okaaayyy so that's all I got for the good. Man, that's a bit pathetic. It's barely a paragraph.

The Bad:

This book had a lot of potential and for the longest time, I couldn't exactly put my finger on what bothered me about the book. If it weren't for the following issues, this could have been a 4 star read for me, possibly more.

The books biggest issues are the actual characters and all the sterotypes that come along with them. They were completely extra. The gay black guy, the extra bitchy popular girl who hates the MC for some vain, insignificant reason accompanied by tweedle dumb (her trusty side kick or fashion accessory. I can't decide which.), the bad boy who truly isn't bad (he has feelings, he's deep and likes to "fix" people), and the obnoxious, perfect, older brother.

1. Jamie.Jamie is Mara's new best friend in Florida. He also happens to be a bisexual, Jewish, Black male with dreadlocks and a tongue ring. Oh, and he's adopted. Yes, I know. He is quite a little token cocktail, isn't he? Hodkin, you want to put a PoC or a bisexual or a Jewish person in your story? Be my guest. But, why, oh why, did he have to be all THREE AT ONCE? And if he wasn't "Black enough" let's give him dreads. And, oh noz, he isn't "gay enough" either, we must add a tongue ring! And what the hell, let's urbanize him while we are at it. Funny thing is he knows he's the token character:

“But none of this matters, because you’re not going to listen to your token black Jewish bi friend, are you?”

That is the part where Hodkin almost owed me a new Kindle. I literally had to stop reading or I was going to lose it. His characterization was poor, poor, poor. It felt like he was trying entirely too hard to be both gay and Black, neither of which I found convincing. About halfway through the book we don't see him again and I couldn't even be mad at that because I was too busy celebrating the fact I no longer had to endure his weird hip-hop lingo anymore. I realize this may have been Hodkin's attempt to add diversity to her story, but guess what?

2. Daniel.Or as I liked to call him: The kiss-ass perfectionist. He was just too over the top to be believable. He is perfect in every way: Perfect student, perfect son, perfect brother. I can totally see why Mara was annoyed by this. Every time Mara wants to go somewhere, Daniel has to first talk with their mother about it. AND IT ALWAYS WORKS. I have an issue when one sibling seems to hold that much power in a hosehold. There is a scene in the book where he is looking at the mail and says

Wow, so not only is he a kiss ass, but he's conceded too! If I ever saw Daniel out in public with his mom, it would go something like this:I would to tap him on the shoulder and go, "Hey, buddy. You dropped something." "Huh? What? Where?" he'd say. And I would respond, "Your lips. I see them over there dangling off your momma's right ass cheek. Go and get 'em, will ya? It's distracting."

3. NoahNoah is the bad boy love interest of the story that has had sex with the entire female population of the school. >insert eye roll here< His character is also over the top with bad boy stereotypes. He gets away with everything because everyone loves him. He is loaded with cash money. He's ridiculously good looking with a *le gasp* English accent. He's incredibly arrogant, rude and tactless. Oh, and most importantly, he only has eyes for Mara. Of course. Once he enters the picture, Mara completely forgets about everything. *cough*the plot*cough* I suppose it really isn't her fault. After all, Noah possesses a "panty-dropping smile." Hide your daughters!

Later in the story, a small piece of me actually started to like him, but unlike Mara, I couldn't excuse his original jackassness. Nope, couldn't do it.

4. Mara (What is your real name anyway?)I didn't entirely dislike her, but I felt she made some really crappy decisions. This story could have really taken off and gone to an interesting place if she didn't become so obsessed with Noah. There were times where I thought she would use that crazy brain of hers, but then she would turn right around and ignore the problem. There was one scene when Jamie tells her (view spoiler)[ that Noah caught him with his hand up Noah's little sister's skirt and Noah runs off and has sex with Jamie's older sister as revenge. (hide spoiler)] When she actually talks to Noah about it, he admits it and what does she do? She just changes the subject and they never talk about it again. Then, there are times when Mara's logical skills seem to fail her all together.

What could I say? Noah, despite you being an asshole, or maybe because of it, I’d like to rip off your clothes and have your babies. Don’t tell.

Oh, yeah, Mara. That makes total sense. Or how about when you and Noah are in his room about to kiss, but you decide you don't want to kiss him (view spoiler)[because the last time you did, he almost died. (I'm still not clear if this was one of her hallucinations or not.) (hide spoiler)] Yet, you think having sex instead would be safer?

Because of situations like this, I just could not connect with Mara at all. I suppose I was supposed to feel sorry for her when her teacher threw chalk at her and made fun of her in front of the entire class. Sorry, Mara.

Then the teacher gave her an 'F' for showing her up on her oral exam. She told you to sit your ass down, Mara. That means do not pass go. Do not collect your $200. It means STFO. And you wondered why you got a failing grade. Then you went off, (view spoiler)[killed her (hide spoiler)], and had a psychotic break down and lost two hours of your life. Was I supposed to care then too?

5. The PlotI think The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer ran into the same issue Incarnate did. It got so wrapped up in the romance; it completely discarded the premise of the book. When something exciting actually started happening it completely came out of left field and hit Mara in the head. I was really disappointed that we really didn't find out more about Mara's abilities. The explanation given by the end of the book was easy to guess and I was expecting more answers. And I read somewhere that this book is supposed to scare you. Lies. All lies

6. The EndingDamn that cliffhanger. I actually finished reading the book and I'm rewarded with the worst cliffhanger possible. I started screaming at my poor Kindle Touch (which is awesome, by the way. Thanks for asking. :D). WTF, dude!

Okay, I have to stop naming things that irked me or I'll start sharp shooting a star off this review. I'll read the next book, but along with Incarnate's sequel, it's going right on my "You're on probation" shelf.

Oh, and riddle me this: How is this book considered paranormal? You go the entire book with alomst nothing supernatural until the very end and suddenly it's paranormal? That's just lazy.

Okay, I'm really done this time.

More reviews and more at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>...more

This book is so incredibly hard to come by and I swear IT'S CURSED. Whenever it attempts to cross on over America's border it mysteriously gets lost or stolen. Don't ask me why it's always this book. I don't know.

All I know is this: I tried to order it from Fishpond.com and they cancelled my order due to publishing issues.

So I did what any book lover would do: I threw a miniature pity party, complete with black party hats and all. Then I heard of a book tour on GoodReads and I was super excited! I rushed over to the book group to sign up only to discover that they had closed the entries only hours before. I had a sad. Well, actually, it was more than a sad. I was starting to get angry.

After my little rage-fest, I found out about another tour that was held by Wendy Darling. My excitement was climbing! Until it was lost in the mail. I felt my pressure rising. I mean, this book was legitimately avoiding me. Why? Why did you hate me so much Fury?!

I got so angry I felt my biceps growing in size, there was suddenly wind in my hair and my fro was turning a nice shade of golden-yellow. If I didn't read Fury soon, I knew the transformation was inevitable and all in my path would suffer the wrath of my black soul.

Half Unicorn. Half Saiyan. True Facts.

I did the only responsible thing I could think of to save my neighborhood: I fired up my computer and Googled images of Ryan Gosling. Instantly, I felt my fury subsiding. And then, just like that, my hot husband walks through the door with a package in hand. I couldn't believe it. I quickly tore off the paper and hugged Fury close. I thought, "It was you Ryan! I knew you wouldn't fail me!" and I lapsed into a daydream:

Yes, Ryan! Let's read Fury. All. Night. Long. (BTW, you're welcome.)

My husband cleared his throat at that awkward moment and walked away muttering something that resembled, "Get a room." Then I looked down at the envelope and realized it was from Kat. Damn. Daydream over.

So yeah, the review. Fury is what a few of my friends (real life, not the ones that live in my computer) would call an ILC (Interesting Little Creature). Why? Because I both loved and hated this book. The main character, Eliza is everything I usually dislike in a heroine. She's rich beyond belief, spoiled, bitchy, ect. And for most of the novel I didn't like her. We didn't get along and I really wanted to shake her. Hard. In fact, I pretty much felt the same way about all the characters. Poor little rich girls with their poor little problems. *eyeroll* I couldn't understand understand why these girls were friends in the first place or the dynamic of their relationship. I just couldn't relate to them for most of the book and Eliza's attitude wasn't helping. However, somewhere along the way as Eliza poured out her soul in the police station, I felt a fierce protectiveness for her and her best friends. I love when books do that. Make me feel like I hate everyone and then change my mind by the end.

So besides my love/hate relationship with the characters, there was the plot. Marr built the anticipation just right in Fury. The story flips back and forth from past and present as Eliza reluctantly tells her story to Dr. Fadden. I really enjoyed that method of story telling and was incredibly eager to find out what happened during the crime and who was killed. But at times it did leave me frustrated because Eliza would be in a middle of a flashback and the scene would flip back to the present. It's almost like when you're watching your favorite TV show and just when something good is about to happen, it cuts to a commercial. But I coud tell Marr had a plan. She allowed me to see Eliza's other side - the broken side - and I began to appreciate those momentary gaps. Clever.

The ending was interesting because I really wasn't expecting it to go down like it did. At one point in the novel I was worried because I could easily guess one of the plot twists. I thought the ending may go in similar fashion, but it didn't. It was then I realized two things: 1) how much I liked Eliza or how much she grew on me and 2) how much I loved when Eliza went into a fury!

Sweet, sweet revenge.

My feminist side was rejoicing. It was a good ending, but it also made me sad at the same time. *sigh*

All in all, while I wasn't blown away, I'm glad I finally had the opportunity to read Fury. I finally can join in with the cool kids now and chat about this coveted GoodReads title. Now can we all please cross our fingers and toes that this makes its way back to Australia in one piece, preferably to Kat? I really don't want to go back to her dungeon of doom and gloom. 'Kay, thanks....more

Oh, Cynthia Hand, how could you do this to me? I feel like this book should come with at least a warning.Hallowed is out! I can't wait to re-read it!

Oh, Cynthia Hand, how could you do this to me? I feel like this book should come with at least a warning. Something along the lines of:

WARNING: This book may cause readers massive amounts of fangirling/fanboying. Do not be alarmed if you encounter symptoms of swooning, emotional instability, and immediate depression after reading.

Yeah...cause that's exactly what happened to me. Many of you may remember that I expressed in my Unearthly review how I was initially reluctant to read this series. Angel PRN books seem to be the worst of the worst in YA literature. So you can imagine my happiness when I come across this gem of a series. If there were ever a reason needed as to why I voted for Cynthia Hand's Unearthly as Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction, it would be Hallowed. If you were thinking that Hand couldn't do it again, you were wrong!

First off let get this off my chest because it's seriously bothering me:

Excuse me while I hurl. Are you kidding me? Stop it. Please. Do not lump this series in with those sorry books. Hallowed, for starters, has a plot. The characters have real depth. The love interests aren't trying to kill Clara. What it should have said was: "For fans of real YA PNR literature." *Breathes* Okay. /end mini rant.

I think it goes without say that I loved this book. I stayed up past 4am to finish this it. Once again, I could not have predicted the outcome! There are so many plot twists and mysteries revealed and it's not what you would expect at all. And I have a sinking feeling that Hallowed is sure to upset quite a few fans...

If you think I'm going to sit here and feed you spoilers, sorry kids, not gonna happen. However, I can tell you some of the things I LOVED about Hallowed:

The character developmentFans will be happy to know that we do indeed find out more about Christian, Clara's mom, Angela, Jeffery's purpose and last, but certainly not least, Tucker Avery. *Cues the swooning*

Clara's mother definitely sees more development. And at first I found myself really irritated with her for keeping secrets, but by the end of the book, I couldn't bring myself to be angry at her any longer. We were left with so many unanswered questions at the end of Unearthly, mostly thanks to Clara's mom, but rest assured, many are answered. And of course, with more answers we get even more questions.

The love triangleI'm sure you saw that coming, as did I, but here's the thing: I liked it. I usually hate love triangles because I find them a bit played out and predictable. But it worked so well in Hallowed. This probably has something to do with the fact that Hand wrote these characters so well. Their relationships are very believable and heartbreakingly realistic. We see a whole other side to Christian and Tucker. It's rather easy to love them both because they both care deeply for Clara and respect her. There are no semi-abusive love interests here. How about that? ;)

The prose, the pacing, and the plotI never thought I could come to love the use of present tense prose, but I felt it was so perfect. We are really able to connect with Clara on another level because of that, especially everything that she goes through in this book. And she goes through a lot. The simple sentences and Clara's ramblings really helped me feel everything Clara felt. The pacing was a bit slower in this book than the last, but again, it works so perfectly. Hand gives us the opportunity to let it really sink in. The pacing just goes hand in hand with the plot, which too is very subtle. At first you become eager to get to the end, but you will come to dread it. So beautifully written.

The dialogCynthia Hand, you are so slick and I love you for it. Those Twilight burns you put in there? Oh, yeah, I think you know how brilliantly awesome that was.

Before I moved here, I never got the whole love-triangle thing. You know, in movies or romance novels or whatnot, where there’s one chick that all the guys are drooling over, even though you can’t see anything particularly special about her. But oh, no, they both must have her. And she’s like, oh dear, however will I choose? William is so sensitive, he understands me, he swept me off my feet, oh misery, blubber, blubber, but how can I go on living without Rafe and his devil-may-care ways and his dark and only-a-little-abusive love? Upchuck.

Yup, that's pure win right there.

The endingIt was so heartbreaking. Clara just didn't get a break in this book and I felt for her so much. I just wanted to hug her. And at the end I felt like I needed a hug. Hand, you had me crying at 4am! I can't believe you went there in this book!! I mean, seriously, I was having a fit over here:

Shock: "I.CAN'T.EVEN."

Disbelief: "NOOOOO!! She did not just do that! NOOOO!"

Depression: "How will I survive until 2013? I'm doomed. Doomed, I tell ya."

This is the first book I've read this year that grabbed me. And I mean it grabbed me. In fact, it's the first book that's going right on my "4.5 stars

This is the first book I've read this year that grabbed me. And I mean it grabbed me. In fact, it's the first book that's going right on my "2012 favs" shelf. You know I'm picky and you know my bar is pretty high, but I LOVED this book. Lauren DeStefano stole my heart with her lyrical prose in Wither, but she took my breath away with Fever.

But before I start gushing uncontrollably about how much I loved this book, I feel I need to talk about this cover for a minute. I'm gonna be honest here and say that when I first saw this cover, I didn't exactly like it. In fact, my exact words were, "It looks awful. And why does her hair look like that? She looked so much better on the first cover. She looks like she is strung out on drugs. Total fail on this one. Smh." *Sigh* I really should stop judging a book by its cover because unlike some books where the cover is completely misleading *cough*The Shadow Reader*cough*, Fever's is very accurate. Every detail you see on that cover has something to do with the plot from the drugged facial expression and body position, to the tarot cards, right down to the color of the dress. Yes, yes. Someone read this book before the photo shoot (or at least given notes) and it SHOWS. Good job. Please, someone give that person a Klondike bar. So, while I do still love Wither's cover better, I take back the negatives I said last July.

Now that that's off my cheast, time for the review. Let gushing commence.

Fever picks up exactly where Wither left off. Gabriel and Rhine have escaped the mansion and Housemaster Vaughn and are attempting to make their way to New York city (or what's left of it) to find Rhine's twin brother, Rowen. Obviously, that's sounds more easy that what it is because they live in a world where their youth coupled with the virus makes them a target for prostitution, weird scientific experiments, and forced servitude. If you think it couldn't get any more disturbing than Cecily’s pregnancy in Wither, you were wrong. Right from the beginning Rhine and Gabriel stumble across one of these horrors at a sick and twisted carnival where the only fun to be had is dependent upon how much the "John" is willing to pay for. However, they quickly learn escaping that deadly playground is not their only problem because Vaughn is after Rhine and he will stop at nothing to get her back.

I'm not giving away any spoilers. So, if you clicked this review hoping for some details about what's going to happen next, guess what?

Does Rhine find Rowen? Does Vaughn catch up to Rhine? What happened to Cecily? Why is it called "Fever"? All of those questions I can't answer. You'll just have to read the book. But I will tell you what I LOVED about this book.

The plot:

This is one of those books where you really can't predict what's going to happen next. That's mostly due to the fact that we didn't have a good idea of what the outside world was like in Wither. Well, in Fever you get a full blown dose of Rhine's reality. It is not pretty and it's grim. Rhine and Gabriel seem to go from one horrible thing to the next. I can't even decide which of them is worse. Scientific experiment or a drugged out prostitute? Which would you pick? I mean, jumping off a cliff would start to seem like the optimal choice. But somehow due to Rhine's determination and strength, they escape. Their journey to New York is not an easy one and it had me flipping through the pages needing to know what happened next. There is one part in the book that slows on you and at first I was wondering when it would pick back up, but when it did it just made me appreciate the down time. The plot twist hits you like a freight train.

The characters (old and new):

While staying at the Carnival of Horrors, or as I like call it "Cirque de Prostitute", we meet one of the best new characters in the series, Maddie. She is a brilliant child who is slightly malformed and a mute. Her characterization was genius and while it may seem like you should feel sorry for her handicaps, she doesn't need your pity. It's easy to say she was one of the reasons why I fell in love with this book. Maddie's mother, Lilac, a nineteen year old prostitute, also was a winner and her story breaks my heart.

Rhine is just as strong as ever. She's goes throughout most of the novel worried if she made the right decision to leave the mansion behind. She's a bit unsure of herself. But unlike other indecisive heroines, Rhine's indecision is understandable. At the mansion she had food, water, and the option to live the remainder of her years relatively comfortably. She gave that all away to be free, but she learns that freedom only goes but so far in her world and she feels terrible for dragging Gabriel into it. Rhine is a very relatable character. Determined, caring, rebellious, and stubborn. I loved her in Wither and I loved her even more in Fever.

Gabriel is one of those characters that, while I like him, I'm not sure how connected I felt to him. For the most part he relies on Rhine to navigate their cruel world and you can tell he really cares for her. However, I don't know how much I cared for him. Don't get me wrong. I don't want him to die or anything, but I think that is mostly for Rhine's sake not because I would miss him. I did appreciate his fierceness to protect Rhine in a world where it's impossible to make such promises.

The prose:

Beautiful. Once again DeStefano mesmerized me with her prose. I feel like I want to paste my favorite quotes in this review, but there are so many. Not only that, but I don't know if they would sound as good as they do when you read the book. Rhine's narration just flows together in this book like one huge poem. And I worry that if quote it, it won't do the passage justice. But I'm going to try anyway. :)

"I should not have loved my daughter as I did. Not in this world in which nothing lives for long. You children are flies. You are roses. You multiply and die."

Everything that happened before feels like a million years ago now. This is the freedom I craved throughout my marriage. To share a bed not because of a wedding ring or a one-sided promise that was made for me, but because of desire. Inexplicable yet undeniable. I have never craved closeness like this for anyone else.

And my personal favorite out of the entire novel:

He kissed back, all the pages spread out around us like riddles waiting to be solved. Let them wait. Let my genes unravel, my hinges come loose. If my fate rests in the hands of a madman, let death come and bring its worse. I'll take the ruined craters of laboratories, the dead trees, this city with ashes in the oxygen, if it means freedom. I'd sooner die here than live a hundred years with wires in my veins.

Gah! I could live off of bread, water and pretty prose for the rest of my days. I just love it!

The ending:

Whew. WOW. Jeez, man. That last third? OMG, horribly perfect. It's one of those endings where all the shit is hitting the fan and everything's going straight to hell first class faster than you can say "in a hand basket" and you're wondering how this book is supposed to end, that Rhine can't possibly escape this one. It blew me away and left me hanging! THAT DARN CLIFFHANGER!!!Why, Lauren? Why did you do that to me? Between you and Cynthia Hand how am I supposed to survive until 2013?! Curses, curses, curses!

Recommendation: If you loved Wither or even just liked it, you will most likely enjoy Fever. If you didn't like Wither at all, you may like Fever a little better. *shrugs* Up to you folks!

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author. Are these my honest opinions? Pfft...I can't believe you would even doubt me.